Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies has been in talks with Butlin’s over the Pontins site in Prestatyn and is encouraged that they have accepted his offer of a tour of the surroundings of the former holiday park, which closed last year.
On November 30th, Pontins closed its Prestatyn Sands holiday park, and also Camber Sands in East Sussex, “with immediate effect”.
Just a few weeks later, at the start of January, again with no notice, it closed its Southport holiday park.
Following the closure of Prestatyn Sands, James wrote to a dozen successful holiday park operators – including Butlin’s – to encourage them to look at acquiring the site.
This week he met the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Butlins, Jon Hendry Pickup, and Simon Cope, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). They have shown a keen interest in the potential redevelopment of the site into a fit-for-purpose, modern holiday park.
At the meeting James offered them a tour of the Prestatyn area and is delighted they have accepted.
He said:
“Since the moment I found out about the unexpected closure of the Pontins' site in Prestatyn at the end of last year, I have been working hard to ensure the site is taken over and not left vacant for years.
“I am extremely pleased that Butlin’s are interested in the site and had a useful meeting with them this week, during which they accepted my offer of a visit to the area, which I am hopeful will take place very soon.
“Butlin’s is a successful company which has been providing families with holidays in the UK since 1936. Having them here in Prestatyn would undoubtedly give the area a huge boost. However I must stress that they are only expressing an interest at this stage and I am continuing to pursue all options with the UK Government and Denbighshire County Council.”
In March, James, along with Sally-Ann Hart MP (Hastings and Rye) and Damien Moore MP (Southport), sent a letter to Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, requesting that the Committee investigate the practices of Britannia Hotels Ltd, the parent company of Pontins.
James has made repeated efforts to engage with Britannia since their unexpected closure, but to date has not received a satisfactory response.
At a meeting of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee today, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP, advised that she too had written to the CEO of Britannia, stressing to them the importance of liaising with the MPs who have contacted them, but she has not received any response at all.
James added:
“Concerns about Britannia Hotels and its practices long precede the closure of the sites – particularly in relation to a lack of investment and neglect, and the poor treatment of staff.
“While each of the three sites have great potential, in recent years, they have negatively impacted the communities in which they are based.
“As we stated in our letter calling for a select committee inquiry: “Looking to the future, we are each aware of serious and positive interest in the redevelopment of our sites by other parties, but liaison with Britannia has repeatedly proved incredibly difficult, despite contact from ourselves, our local authorities, the public and the media".
“Back in 2020, I expressed concern that Pontins were running their UK holiday parks into the ground, and suggested that the company should consider selling the sites to a company that will invest in them.
“The site in Prestatyn is in a prime position in the town, and I am confident that with a reputable company like Butlin’s in charge, it could be brought back to life and become a vibrant holiday resort attracting visitors to the area from far and wide.”
