Buying a
flat? Want to know who built it?
It is a
reasonable request to identify the developer who is responsible for
constructing the accommodation in which you intend to invest your life savings.
Considered
purchasing a seafront flat? Maybe in
Ramsgate?
Well, SFP Venture Partners Ltd is (supposed to
be) building 100+ flats on Ramsgate seafront. It is a fantastic position facing
south, overlooking a sandy beach, adjacent to the only Royal Harbour in the UK and views of the English Channel.
Sounds idyllic, but who is the developer?
A 20 page marketing brochure and a 16 page
specification brochure say nothing about the developer of the project. This is
surprising considering they are supposed to be an international company with
developments as wide as Dubai and Ipswich.
A front company SFP Ventures (UK) Ltd is supposed to be constructing the building but that company was only formed in 2006 and the agreement and planning permission for Royal Sands goes back to 2002-3 when SFP Venture Partners Ltd (SFP) under the guise of Société Financière Privée SA (SFP) (A Swiss based stockbroker, now defunct) secured a long lease on the development site
The Royal Sands website states the “Developers
for the Royal Sands development are SFP Ventures (UK) Ltd a UK based Commercial
and Residential Development Company with experience in mixed schemes in both
the UK and overseas” A Company Check
shows that company is worth exactly minus £3399, also an internet search
finds no previous developments.
So if any SFP Venture Partners Ltd directors are
reading this and I KNOW you are local,
RAMSGATE has no confidence in your track
record or ability to deliver.
The message is “COME CLEAN IF YOU WANT THE
FREEHOLD OR RETIRE GRACEFULLY AND LET A “REAL” DEVELOPER TAKE OVER.
I shall not be buying anything but if they ever do get built (looks unlikely) the question you ask is valid. I am not sure TDC put enough research into who they are and with no track record one wonders why SFP were the preferred bidder?
ReplyDeleteHave email from Harvey Patterson saying they have no knowledge about either SFP Ventures (UK) Ltd or Shaun Patrick Keegan the owner.
DeleteDon, That is surely a question you should ask Nicholson and Johnstone.
ReplyDeleteKen, obviously the whole reason for setting up an offshore company is to conceal the identities of the people involved, when I questioned this I was assured by the council that this situation had been rectified in 2006 by setting up SFP Ventures UK.
ReplyDeleteHowever the council documentation relating to the council meeting 2009 meeting shows that this wasn’t in fact the case and that in 2009 the council were actually still dealing with SFP Ventures Partners BVI.
I guess if I was looking to find out who was behind SFP Ventures Partners BVI I would look to the site history immediately before they registered an interest in 2002.
See http://tdc-mg-dmz.thanet.gov.uk/Data/Cabinet/20031016/Agenda/$Agenda%20Enclosure%206.doc.pdf