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Drayton Manor Park

All Annual passes have been extended to the 30th September 2021. Reading the email I was send it sounds like they won’t be open again to the start of the main 2021 season. My daughter gonna be gutted when she gets home from school.
 
Drayton Manor Park Ltd have today pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The case has now been referred to the Crown Court for sentencing.

Obviously this is the company that owned the park at the time of the incident, and the prosectution have pointed out that it is important that sentecning takes place before that company is dissolved.
 
Rob said:
Drayton Manor Park Ltd have today pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The case has now been referred to the Crown Court for sentencing.

Obviously this is the company that owned the park at the time of the incident, and the prosectution have pointed out that it is important that sentencing takes place before that company is dissolved.
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Well at least with them not owning the park anymore it won't have an impact on anything.
 
I would assume in some ways it’s been a more complicated case.

On The Smiler it was very clear from the outset that the cause of the accident would be something with mechanical or human/process error. No action of those harmed would have affected the outcome. In the case of Drayton though I suspect there will have been lengthy enquiries to evaluate and understand the full picture of events, understand to what extent the events were bought on, such as guest behaviour, and also understand what could have been done or was already in place to try and mitigate that (signage, CCTV, barriers, etc.).
 
Ian said:
I would assume in some ways it’s been a more complicated case.

On The Smiler it was very clear from the outset that the cause of the accident would be something with mechanical or human/process error. No action of those harmed would have affected the outcome. In the case of Drayton though I suspect there will have been lengthy enquiries to evaluate and understand the full picture of events, understand to what extent the events were bought on, such as guest behaviour, and also understand what could have been done or was already in place to try and mitigate that (signage, CCTV, barriers, etc.).
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Like @Ian said there was more complication with the Drayton incident but it seems to be finally drawing to a close (fingers crossed)!
 
Matt N said:
According to the Express, it is thought that Drayton’s fine could be as large as £2.5million: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1...splash-canyon-ride-stafford-crown-court-trial

My goodness; with the combined blow of this potentially huge fine and COVID, Looping Group have certainly got a lot on their hands in their initial years owning Drayton...
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The range that the fine could be in as I understand is from £600k to £2.5M. I don't see how Drayton could reasonably afford the upper limit.
BBC News said:
Mr Mills said Drayton Manor's latest accounts showed it turned over about £24m in 2019, providing a possible starting point for any fine of £950,000, "with a range of £600,000 to £2.5m".
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ringo said:
The potential for a fine will have been factored in when they sold, also the structuring of the business will of been to protect certain aspects.
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It appears to be a pre pack phonexing arrangement, so presumably the corporate liability is with the old entity.
 
Drayton Manor Resort Limited run Drayton Manor now and William Bryan is a director but holds no shares in the company.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12760453/officers
Drayton Manor Park Limited is in the hands of the administrations and that’s who the fine will go to but can’t see it been 2.5m as the other creditors will try to get as much of the money owed to them 1st. All the Bryans own now is the house which is on property.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00477404/officers
Also reading up on the administers
https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/...f856c154198755bb3e60df647a626541cdaf2918784b3
 
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Drayton Manor deep down may think it was controversial that they're being held responsible for the girls death. If I felt that the system was being used to technically find my business guilty of something that I didn't agree with then I might be inclined to use technicalities in another system to avoid the punishment. Personally I wouldn't like to comment though.
 
The former owners will be fined but it will be a minimum fine as if the £15 million they got for the park most of it will have gone to pay back the banks for loans with a payment plan set up to pay back the rest.
The park before this death had a very good record and the only other reported death was on Maelstrom when a women died in her early 40’s from a heart attack.
I think when the park reopen maybe for Feb half term you will see some new flat rides and maybe a traveling coaster.
 
imanautie said:
Theoretically speaking if the fine is against the old entity is there even any way for the new entity to pay it?
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I don't know, but the HSE seemed to be worried about urgency because of the administration of the old business etc.

If the living breathing park were to escape paying then that'd likely be seized upon by the media and cause a potential PR disaster, I think.
 
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