4:17 pm, March 3, 2022
A legal battle by neighbours of Trade Centre Group boss Mark Bailey against a skatepark being built in front of his seafront home in Swansea has been lost.
Seven residents of million-pound houses in the Mumbles took legal action against the £460,000 skatepark, but Bailey became the centre of the row after a video appeared of him confronting the skateboarders last May.
He later said he deeply regretted the altercation but the damage was done.
His car dealership’s Trustpilot page was quickly flooded with bad reviews and locals began beeping their car horns as they drove past his property.
Bailey withdrew his objections after the video went viral.
He wrote on Facebook at the time: ‘Having taken time to reflect on the footage of the altercation that was filmed at the skatepark on Wednesday evening, my wife Rhianon and I unreservedly apologise for our actions that evening.
‘I do understand why the skaters are so passionate about the skate park and, whilst I now concede on making any objection to the redevelopment at that location, I also stand by my offer to significantly invest in a state-of-the art facility elsewhere in the borough with proper facilities and parking.’
A group of neighbours had mounted a legal challenge against Swansea Council over its handling of transferring the land to a community council.
However, despite being given three months to continue the fight, it ended with no further action being taken and the skatepark has now been granted planning permission.
Trade Centre Group was the highest placed non-franchised retailer in the Car Dealer Top 100 list in 2020, falling from seventh to 26th overall in 2021.
