Ocean Room bidder linked to firm's £1.7m collapse

The Ocean Room was offered for sale by Great Yarmouth Borough Council after its previous operator went into administration last year

The businessman behind a council's preferred bidder to buy an iconic Norfolk seaside venue ran a company that went into voluntary liquidation owing almost £1.7m, it can be revealed.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council, which owns the Ocean Room in Gorleston, has not confirmed the identity of the preferred bidder for the building, but Bespoke Construction Group told the BBC it had been selected.

The King's Lynn-based business was set up last year by Stuart Deadman, who had been a director of Bespoke Norfolk which was wound up in 2023. Administrators McTear, Williams and Wood said the process left assets of just £10,000 to repay 100 creditors.

Mr Deadman said: "It is entirely correct that Bespoke Norfolk Ltd went into liquidation. This was not a decision taken lightly and was made on the advice of professional advisers due to the detrimental effect that Covid-19 had."

The managing director of Bespoke Construction Group was a director of Bespoke Norfolk, which collapsed in 2020 with debts of £1.7m

Mr Deadman, who was one of the directors of the defunct business, is now the sole director of Bespoke Construction Group.

The property developer, based at Campbell's Meadow, King's Lynn, was the only business to make a presentation to buy the Ocean Room after the other contender, Jays UK, said it could not deliver its business case in the allotted time.

Ben Jay, a director of Jays UK, which operates the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth, was a director of Ocean Room Entertainments, the tenant of the Art Deco building that entered administration and closed in March 2024.

Ocean Room Entertainments had been in talks prior to entering administration about buying the building, repaying its £47,000 rent arrears and offering £450,000 for the freehold.

Ben Jay says he was unable to make his presentation bid for the Ocean Room to the council

Mr Jay said: "We were unable to make our presentation to the council because the time offered to us was in our summer season show time and they were unwilling to allow us to make our presentation two hours earlier to fit in with our business needs.

"It was also impossible to get the extra information they wanted in the short amount of time they offered."

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has not confirmed the name of the preferred bidder but sources have told the BBC it is Bespoke Construction Group

A spokesperson for Great Yarmouth Borough Council refused to confirm any details but added that the authority was "focused on ensuring the site is brought back into use as quickly as practically possible to benefit the community".

On the restructuring of his business interests, Mr Deadman added: "This was an emotionally and financially difficult time for all those involved.

"However, I am now at a point where I can confidently say that the hard work in rebuilding relationships has been a testament to our commitment to the local community.

"We went back to projects that had been affected and rebuilt relationships with contractors and traders who continue to work with us today. Many of the staff from that time remain with our company as well.

"Today, Bespoke Construction Group is in a strong and stable financial position, successfully delivering projects across East Anglia."