How self-proclaimed 'Gypsy Billionaire' was linked to holiday park in Northampton as mystery surrounds sale

A self-proclaimed ‘Gypsy Billionaire’ was briefly linked to a huge holiday park in Northampton, as mystery still surrounds the sale of the site.

Billing Aquadrome and Cogenhoe Mill holiday parks went into administration on July 6 – owned by the Royale Life Group at the time – and were subsequently taken over by joint administrators Daniel Smith and Oliver Haunch of Grant Thornton LLP.

The administrators said this month (February) that Billing Aquadrome is in the process of being sold off to “very excited" new owners.

One mysterious clue hints that billionaire Mr Best was potentially interested in the site – here’s what we know.

According to Companies House, Mr Best created Billing Aquadrome Holdings Ltd and appointed himself as director on October 31, listing the nature of its business as residents' property management.

However, that company has started the process of striking off as of February 9, which refers to the process by which a company is removed from the official register and ceases to exist as a legal entity.

In between that time, the parks have seen heavy flooding, which has forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes.

Also, the company which runs Billing Aquadrome is listed as Billing Aquadrome Limited and not Billing Aquadrome Holdings Ltd.

Grant Thornton UK LLP clarified the situation to this newspaper. A spokesman said: “The entity you’ve referred to [Billing Aquadrome Holdings Ltd] is a separate entity [to Billing Aquadrome Limited], which the administrators have no involvement with. For the avoidance of doubt, the administrators are not involved in discussions with that entity about purchasing these parks.”

The administrators were asked if they can reveal who the potential new owners are but declined to comment further.

Mr Best has been contacted for comment.

Who is Alfie Best?

Best's businesses in the UK reportedly include 95 residential mobile home parks, seven holiday mobile home parks and a golf course in Herefordshire, along with a 50 percent share in 15 sites in the US, totalling £700 million, as well as a motor home rental company called Vaaroom.

In 2019, Best featured in the Sunday Times UK rich list and in 2020 he was #382 in the Sunday Times 2020 UK rich list with a net worth of £341 million, an increase of more than £100 million from last year.

There is an Amazon Prime documentary on Mr Best called ‘Gypsy Billionaire: A Great British Success Story’.

The blurb for the documentary reads: “Alfie is a man who turns trash into treasure. At a time when banks are repossessing people’s houses and families are choosing whether to eat or turn on the heating, Alfie has worked tirelessly on a solution for sustainable, low-cost housing and cheap electricity. He is single handily changing the housing market—removing people from the cycle of poverty, debt, and subservience to the system."