OnBuy quits Bournemouth HQ, blaming council

Online marketplace OnBuy.com says it has quit its Bournemouth headquarters amid a "lack of support" from the council.

Founder Cas Paton accused BCP Council of a "lack of engagement" and failing to promote a "Silicon Beach" strategy to support tech firms.

He said the town's deserted high street, "major" drug problem and "nightmare" transport had also made it a challenge to attract talent.

BCP Council said the town had a "thriving and growing creative and digital community" which it "continues to nurture and support".

OnBuy began in Poole and moved to Bournemouth in 2019, becoming one of the fastest-growing e-commerce businesses in Europe.

Mr Paton said: "We worked with the council in those early incubation steps, and we agreed to work together on a silicone beach concept that meant we could attract and retain talent in the town.

"The council has never backed some of the initiatives that we set out in 2019, they've never come to the table, and that's frustrating.

"When the high street is riddled with very obvious problems - and I don't just mean shops closing - it creates a difficult challenge for any tech business."

But Richard Herrett, BCP's councillor for destination, leisure and commercial operations, said confidence was "flowing back" into Bournemouth, with the arrival of new businesses and a 12.5% increase in footfall over Christmas compared with 2023.

"We are also fortunate to have a thriving and growing creative and digital community in the area, which the council continues to nurture and support, along with our partners at the universities and college," he said.

"We are aware of the challenges facing every high street in the UK, but as a council we are determined to make sure we continue to do our part in supporting our local businesses."

Ian Girling, chief executive of the Dorset Chamber of Commerce, said: "Clearly there are challenges in the area - we can't deny that.

"I would say there is a broad range of support for businesses but we shouldn't look away from the fact it's a very challenging business climate for businesses across all sectors at the moment.

"I think we need to listen to the messages that are coming through from OnBuy."

OnBuy is to retain a satellite office in Bournemouth but is relocating its HQ to London, with another satellite office in Manchester.

Mr Paton said within a month of opening in Manchester the company had met with the mayor and local entrepreneurs, and found support aimed at getting tech leaders talking to each other.

"In Dorset, there were words but never any action," he said.

Mr Paton confirmed there would be no change to the company's headcount, with staff being offered the option of hybrid working, relocation or working from home.

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