Flamboyant Frenchman Pierre-Yves Gerbeau celebrated his £65 million deal for Brighton Marina with a meal at one of its new restaurants. Former Millennium Dome boss Mr Gerbeau - nicknamed "PY" - dined at his latest investment just hours before lawyers rubber-stamped his majority shareholding in the marina's commercial property. His firm X-Leisure takes over the leasehold interest from Parkridge Developments, who will remain involved in planning long-term development at the site. The deal finally went through on Friday, a month after The Argus revealed X-Leisure was taking over day-to-day running of the marina's commercial development. Mr Gerbeau and Parkridge boss Philip O'Callaghan spent Thursday evening dining at the marina's Cafe Paradiso, along with outgoing Brighton and Hove City Council chief executive David Panter. A Parkridge spokeswoman said the business meeting with Mr Panter was booked four weeks ago. The Argus this week revealed Mr Panter had decided to quit the council and take up a health service job in Australia. Mr Gerbeau spent the rest of Thursday holding back-to-back meetings with interested parties at the marina. The former Euro Disney and Dome chief lives in Battersea with his fiancee, BBC Breakfast newsreader and Watchdog presenter Kate Sanderson. The deal adds the marina to X-Leisure's 17 entertainment and leisure venues across the UK, including the O2 Centre in north London and an indoor ski slope in Milton Keynes. The two firms will now work together on a proposed £200 million redevelopment of the marina. This would feature 1,500 new homes and an extra 4,600sqm of retail space, though Mr Gerbeau told The Argus they may rework the proposals.

Monday September 06, 2004