Who is behind the SnOasis project?
The developers behind SnOasis are a company called Onslow Suffolk Ltd who are based at 128 Mount Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 3NU, UK. The SnOasis website www.snoasis.co.uk describes Onslow in the following way: "The developers are a company called Onslow Suffolk Ltd and its directors have extensive experience in delivering large-scale development projects."
While this may be the case, the key figure and public face of Onslow Suffolk has also had his share of business failures. The Managing Director of Onslow Suffolk Ltd is Godfrey Philip Spanner (right) who is listed at Companies House as having directorships in a number of companies. Of these he is currently publicly recorded as having had 3 Insolvent Directorships and 2 Insolvent Shareholdings.
One of these, Onslow Ditchling Ltd was declared insolvent in 2005. Land near Ditchling, a village in Sussex, was bought to develop into a business park by the company. Godfrey Spanner was Company Secretary, Director and shareholder and the company went into administration after a major dispute with one of the company’s main suppliers. Another failure is Southern Restoration Group PLC, of which Mr. Spanner was a shareholder and director.That was struck off and dissolved in February 2004. A further company, Newhaven Property Development Company Limited was liquidated and compulsorily wound up in October of the same year – Godfrey Spanner was Company Secretary and Director.
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Is SnOasis a viable project or could be another business failure?
While previous business business failures by Mr Spanner do not preclude SnOasis from being a success, it does mean that the underlying business case behind the proposals should be carefully examined. Mid Suffolk District Council and other groups in the region commissioned a report from consultants DTZ Pieda Consulting into the viability of the development. This provides an interesting insight into the financial viability of the scheme and leaves some major question marks.
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