Is this the tip for Pontins? Holiday agency closes third vacation park
- Southport park, Merseyside, shuts its doorways after Storm Henk causes flooding
- Follows latest closures of Prestatyn, North Wales, and Camber Sands, in Sussex
Pontins has been a much-loved British household vacation staple for practically 80 years, however its future seems bleak after the closure of its third vacation park in a matter of weeks means fewer than a handful of websites stay.
Staff on the Southport park website in Merseyside declare they came upon by textual content they’d misplaced their jobs simply hours earlier than the shock announcement was made.
Pontins blamed latest flooding attributable to Storm Henk saying ‘after assessing the longer term viability of the park, now we have come to the troublesome choice to shut our doorways’.
It comes after the parks in Prestatyn, North Wales and Camber Sands, in Sussex, had been instantly shut down on the finish of November with out warning, with the newest closure elevating critical questions on the way forward for the as soon as much-loved household getaway.
Pontins was purchased out of administration by Britannia Hotels for £20million in 2011 with a lot promise from lodge tycoon Alex Langsam, dubbed the ‘Asylum King’, to reinvent the troubled parks into Disney-style seaside locations.
The multi-millionaire has amassed an estimated £248m fortune by way of Britannia Hotels, which enjoys profitable taxpayer-funded contracts to accommodate asylum seekers throughout its 60 websites.
The closure of the Southport website in Merseyside means there are solely three remaining Pontins. In its heyday there have been 30
The as soon as much-loved household getaway has been on the decline for the reason that Eighties and was saved from administration in 2011
The visitors outdoors the chalets at Pontin’s Holiday Camp, Osmington Bay, Dorset, in 1958
Britannia, named worst lodge chain for eleven consecutive years, has didn’t stem the decline of Pontins within the final 12 years, amid the Home Office just lately denying rumours the closed down parks can be used to accommodate migrants.
Families had been evacuated from the Southport website by firefighters on New Year’s Day when heavy rainfall induced the previous boating lake to burst its banks and flood the park, reported the Liverpool Echo.
In lower than 48 hours on Wednesday afternoon, Pontins introduced on its Facebook web page the park can be closing its doorways for good, with The Mirror reporting livid workers had been advised by textual content message.
‘It is with nice disappointment that we announce the closure of Pontins Southport Holiday Park,’ they stated in an announcement.
‘After assessing the longer term viability of the park, now we have come to the troublesome choice to shut our doorways. Unfortunately, because of this Pontins Southport Holiday Park can be closing from Wednesday third January 2024.
‘Customers whose bookings can be affected by these closures can be contacted by our crew and refunded.
‘We apologise for any inconvenience induced.’
Southport’s Conservative MP Damien Moore advised the BBC the closure may present an financial increase to the world with the fitting funding.
‘Whilst the closure of Pontins is clearly regarding for the workers who I’m positive can be shocked, it supplies a improbable alternative for a high-quality vacation lodging supplier to take over the location,’ he stated.
‘Given its wonderful location subsequent to Ainsdale seashore, with appropriate funding, it may provide a considerable financial increase to Ainsdale and the broader Southport space.’
In its heyday there have been 30 Pontins scattered throughout the nation, however with latest closures imply there are solely three left standing: Pakefield, in Suffolk; Sand Bay, in Weston-super-Mare; and Brean Sands, in Somerset.
Although the Brean Sands park is at the moment out of motion till 2026 with it at the moment being taken over by EDF to accommodate 900 staff whereas work is carried out on a brand new nuclear energy plant.
Owners of the Southport park, pictured in 2020, stated in an announcement ‘after assessing the longer term viability of the park, now we have come to the troublesome choice to shut our doorways’
Family lodging at a Pontins vacation camp within the Eighties, with the model a rival to Butlins for a UK getaway
Britannia Hotel Group purchased Pontin’s out of administration for a reported £20million lin 2011 and the brand new house owners stated it had plans to reinvent the troubled parks into Disney-style seaside locations (posed image)
A bunch of revellers on the chalet balcony on the Rockabilly Weekend at Pontins, Camber Sands, East Sussex, in June 2013
Bluecoat cabaret members participate in a balloon sketch at one of many Pontins vacation parks within the Eighties
Pictured: The Middleton Tower Pontins Holiday Camp, in Morecambe, in 1950
Sir Fred Pontin first launched Pontins in 1946 providing half-board and self-catering holidays with leisure at resorts across the nation
The Home Office was pressured to disclaim the Prestatyn and Camber Sands websites can be used to accommodate 1,600 migrants after rumours started to swirl on-line.
The Home Office stated in December the rumours weren’t true – and it have no idea the place they got here from.
The Home Office advised MailOnline they don’t seem to be wanting to make use of the Pontins websites as asylum seeker lodging – insisting that there are not any plans.
A purpose behind the closures have but to been revealed with house owners Britannia posting document income this yr.
It posted pre-tax income of £33.3m for the 12 months to March 31, 2022, after falling to a lack of £9.5m within the prior yr, whereas accounts filed to Companies House reveals it achieved a turnover of £117.8m, up from simply £38.4 million.
The firm, whose multimillionaire boss Andrew Langsam has constructed up an estimated £248m fortune by way of Britannia Hotels, enjoys profitable taxpayer-funded contracts to accommodate asylum seekers throughout its 60 websites – not less than 17 of that are stated to have been block-booked.
The octogenarian tycoon launched the corporate in 1976 with the acquisition of the Britannia Country House Hotel in Didsbury, Manchester. He additionally owns Pontins, which in 2021 tried to ban travellers from its vacation parks.
The entrepreneur has beforehand boasted of Britannia’s position in safeguarding the way forward for a few of Britain’s most historic motels, together with the Adelphi in Liverpool – which was utilized by passengers on the Titanic – and the Grand in Scarborough.
The deserted former Pontins Holiday Park, in Hemsby, Norfolk, was eerily pictured in 2014, six years after dwindling numbers induced its closure
The as soon as much-loved UK vacation getaway has been blighted by a raft of closures in the previous couple of a long time (Pictured: The closed Pontins in Hemsby, Norfolk, in 2014)
A basic view of derelict vacation chalets as they await demolition at Pontins Holiday Camp in Blackpool in 2012
Britannia Hotels proprietor Alex Langsam has constructed up an estimated £248m fortune by way of Britannia Hotels, which has been handed profitable taxpayer-funded contracts to accommodate asylum seekers
But Britannia is now infamous for its Basil Fawlty model service, with its entry within the Which? rating of the most effective and worst motels within the nation stating: ‘Run-down, soiled and as soon as once more the worst lodge chain within the UK. Avoid in any respect prices.’
Fred Pontin first launched Pontins in 1946 providing half-board and self-catering holidays with leisure at resorts across the nation earlier than its £56million sale to Coral in 1978.
It went by way of quite a lot of new house owners earlier than it was saved in 2011 by Britannia when it fell into administration.
Shane Ritchie, Bobby Davro, Bradley Walsh, and Lee Mack are listed amongst its former well-known bluecoats.
MailOnline has contacted Britannia Hotels for additional remark.
