THE company which ran the now-closed SeaQuarium attraction in Rhyl has gone into solvent liquidation.

SeaQuarium of Rhyl Ltd agreed to be wound up voluntarily at a meeting on October 7, with Roderick Butcher, of Birmingham-based company Butcher Woods, appointed as liquidator of the business.

After being open on Rhyl’s promenade for more than 30 years, SeaQuarium closed for good last November, and attributed its decision to Denbighshire County Council’s Central Rhyl Coastal Defences Scheme, the development of which is taking place by the site.

The attraction welcomed in excess of 80,000 visitors each year, and employed more than 20 people.

Demolition of the SeaQuarium building was due to start this month and be completed by January.

A declaration of solvency document, published on SeaQuarium of Rhyl’s Companies House page yesterday (October 15), states that the company has £21,828 in outstanding debts, but £1,256,435 in assets.

Its remaining debts are owed to trade creditors, HM Revenue and Customs, and the estimated cost of liquidation.

In total, “three local businesses” expressed an interest in taking on the building formerly occupied by SeaQuarium, but none subsequently pursued their interest in it.

Balfour Beatty, the contractor currently working on Rhyl’s coastal sea defence scheme, will oversee the demolition as part of the current programme of work it is completing.

A Freedom of Information request made by the Journal in February revealed that the council contributed £90,000 towards finding new homes for SeaQuarium’s six seals.