Hemsby Pontins set to close
THE holiday industry in the Great Yarmouth area has suffered a major blow with the announcement of the closure of the Pontins Holiday Centre at Hemsby this month.
THE holiday industry in the Great Yarmouth area has suffered a major blow with the announcement of the closure of the Pontins Holiday Centre at Hemsby this month.
Falling bookings and increasing costs have resulted in the decision to close the Hemsby centre, taken by Ocean Parcs, the company that owns Pontins.
Staff were gathered together this morning to be told about the closure and redundancies by a representative from head office. They were told they had 48 hours to clear desks.
A source linked to the camp said the news was “out of the blue” and some staff were in tears.
The decision will affect 55 jobs at the site, which can accommodate 2,000 holidaymakers. During the war, the centre was used to billet soldiers before they went to fight overseas.
A Pontins spokeswoman said: “We acquired the holiday centre on a short-term lease while we reviewed its future potential and have concluded that it is limited without significant investment, which is not feasible within the remaining lease term. This, combined with declining books and escalating costs, has resulted in the decision to close immediately as it is not viable to trade the centre for the remaining nine months of the lease.”
Most Read
- 1 Landlord finds 20 rabbits abandoned at home after tenants move out
- 2 Driver caught at speeds of nearly 100mph also found to have no licence
- 3 Six arrested after Willow the dog finds 'substantial' quantity of drugs
- 4 'The best yet' - Yarmouth's celebration of wheels gearing up for return
- 5 From schools to shops: All you need to know about living in Gorleston
- 6 Mixed feelings for traders as they move into Great Yarmouth's new market
- 7 8 places where you can see fireworks for free in Norfolk for the jubilee
- 8 Father still searching six months after Pawel Martyniak went missing
- 9 Winterton beach poses as Sydney's Bondi in new movie
- 10 Revealed: Your favourite fish and chip shop in Norfolk
Holidaymakers who have already made bookings at the Hemsby site are being offered the chance to transfer their booking to one of the other six remaining Pontins centres, or have a full refund.
The firm has no plans to shut any of its other sites.