Files show collapsed firm run by Seventa boss owed council thousands
A collapsed events company run by the director of Seventa Events - the firm awarded the new 20 year lease for SOBO Beach site - left BCP Council thousands of pounds out of pocket, public insolvency records reveal.
19Ten Ltd, which traded under the name Seventa Events while running Bournemouth Christmas Market, collapsed into voluntary liquidation in April 2021.
Official documents on Companies House show 19Ten Ltd owed £407,685 to creditors when it went under, including £4,081.20 owed to BCP Council.
Companies House says that 19Ten Ltd remains officially in liquidation and the company still owes the council this money on paper.
Unpaid debts are only formally written off once a liquidation concludes and the business is dissolved.
Liquidator reports confirm that total debts have grown to more than £511,000, with zero pence paid to unsecured creditors.
Insolvency filings show assets from the Christmas Market costing £717,007 were sold out of 19Ten Ltd for £60,000, with just £10,000 paid upfront.
A further loan of £10,000 from 19Ten Holdings Ltd had only seen £4,714 repaid by June 2026.
Simon Brooks was the sole director of 19Ten Ltd throughout its trading life.
Mr Brooks is also the sole director of Seventa Events Ltd, a separate company incorporated in July 2017.
Seventa Events Ltd sat dormant on Companies House for five years before it began active trading after 19Ten Ltd collapsed.
Simon Brooks, Director of Seventa Events, said: "Like thousands of businesses across the UK, we faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. For approximately 16 months, large-scale events were either prohibited or subject to severe restrictions, effectively preventing us from operating our core business while significant financial commitments continued.
"19Ten Ltd entered liquidation in April 2021, during this extraordinarily difficult period. It was not a decision taken lightly, and we engaged professional advisers to help protect the future of our wider businesses.
"That was over five years ago. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to rebuild, diversify and establish much stronger financial foundations. Our businesses today are fundamentally different from those operating during the pandemic. We have continued to invest in Bournemouth, develop new projects and create employment opportunities, with our businesses now supporting around 250 people across our operations.
"Regarding Southbourne Beach, we participated in a comprehensive competitive procurement process and provided the financial information required of us. BCP Council's own publicly available Cabinet report described the preferred bidder as having 'strong covenant strength', alongside significant hospitality experience and an established local presence.
"We remain confident in our financial position and our ability to deliver the Southbourne Beach project and its long-term commitments."
However, questions have now been raised about whether BCP Council carried out adequate financial vetting and due diligence when awarding Seventa Events Ltd a major 20-year lease to run the prominent SOBO Beach site at Southbourne Promenade.
Councillor Bobbie Dove, BCP Conservative Deputy Group Leader, said: “I have not personally seen the information being referred to, and it would be wrong to draw conclusions without first establishing the facts. However, I believe serious questions must now be asked about the financial due diligence undertaken before selecting a preferred bidder for a proposed 20–25-year, multimillion-pound lease involving such a valuable public asset.
“I appreciate that the hospitality industry has faced significant challenges over recent years and that, sadly, some businesses have found themselves unable to continue trading. That in itself does not suggest wrongdoing.
“However, if the information being reported is confirmed, it raises legitimate questions about what financial checks were carried out, what information was disclosed during the tender process, and whether councillors were made fully aware of any relevant financial risks, both during the councillors’ briefing on 8 October and when the matter was brought before Full Council on 13 October 2026.
“This is not about making accusations or prejudging the outcome. It is about ensuring that public assets are entrusted to operators through a robust, transparent and properly scrutinised process.
“It is now imperative that any further steps towards entering into a formal lease agreement with the preferred bidder are paused with immediate effect, pending proper scrutiny of this matter and the other concerns that have been raised with councillors over the past week or so.
“The requested Extraordinary Meeting of Full Council provides an opportunity for these questions to be examined and for councillors to receive the information they need. Residents deserve confidence that every necessary check was undertaken before the preferred bidder was selected, and reassurance that the decision-making process has been thorough, fair and transparent, with the council acting in the best interests of the people it represents.
“There should be no rush to enter into a long-term contractual commitment while legitimate questions remain unanswered. Public confidence must come first.”
