Investors pull plug on Hemsby Pontins

Investors have pulled the plug on a multi-million pound scheme to redevelop the former Pontins site at Hemsby.Norwich-based brand strategy expert Simon Middleton had attracted a mix of national and regional investors for his plans for the holiday park, which closed after the 2008 season.

Investors have pulled the plug on a multi-million pound scheme to redevelop the former Pontins

site at Hemsby.

Norwich-based brand strategy expert Simon Middleton had attracted a mix of national and regional investors for his plans for the holiday park, which closed after the 2008 season.

However, he said: “The site owner would not give us a price they were willing to sell for unless we shared our plans with them, but my investors were not prepared to do that.”

When Mr Middleton launched the scheme last December his vision had been for an “Eden of the East”, an all-year-round holiday centre in a dome development providing a constant sub-tropical climate.

However, he said: “The plans were modified over time to become a day visitor attraction, dropping the domes concept.”

He said there had been positive reaction to the new scheme - “a theme park of experiences rooted in Norfolk's history” - and he was still hopeful of developing it on another site, either locally or elsewhere in the county.

Mr Middleton said that he was still committed to helping Hemsby traders and would be working with them on planning next summer's Viking festival.