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Traders struggle a year after holiday park closure

BBC A picture from inside the holiday park, showing old blocks of flats and plastic play equipment that has faded primary colours. A large, red, yello and blue Pontins sign is on the left, and a large puddle of water is in the foreground.BBC

Businesses in a seaside village have said they are struggling to survive a year on from the sudden closure of its holiday park, which attracted 80,000 tourists annually.

The Pontins holiday park in Camber Sands, East Sussex, closed suddenly in December 2023 and has been lying empty for 12 months.

Rother District Council, which owns the site, said Pontins owner Britannia Hotels had a long lease that gave them limited powers to intervene.

Britannia Hotels has been approached for comment.

Raj Thurairaja is standing in his convenience store with products packed on the shelves behind him. He is smiling and wearing a black cap and a grey jacket and cream T-shirt.
Raj Thurairaja said the takings at his convenience store opposite the holiday park were down almost £300,000 this year

A meeting with Britannia Hotels, the council, and local MP Helena Dollimore is due to take place later this month.

Palanisamy "Raj" Thurairaja bought the Premier convenience store in Lydd Road two years ago because it was so close to the holiday park.

He said he invested money in extending and refurbishing the shop but claimed since Pontins closed, his takings had dropped by almost £300,000 this year.

"It's very quiet, and the business is struggling," he said. "I can cope with that for one year, but not if it keeps going on. We need some certainty about what will happen."

The Nisa convenience store on the other side of the road closed down in September.

Sarah Broadbent is standing in from of the "Main Entrance" sign at the closed Pontin's holiday park. She is looking towards the camera. She has shoulder-length ginger hair with a fringe and black-rimmed glasses. She is wearing a dark grey jumper under a light grey coat.
Sarah Broadbent, vice chair of Rye & District Chamber of Commerce, said many local hospitality businesses had been affected

Sarah Broadbent, vice chair of Rye and District Chamber of Commerce, said: "You can't have a site the size that Pontins is, that could accommodate about 3,000 guests at a time, suddenly close and it not have an impact on the small businesses around the village.

"Some would have argued that most guests would have stayed on the site and kept their spending there, but when they ventured out to buy an ice cream, a cup of coffee, or a pint of beer, those numbers really start to stack up."

Rother District Council said it was in communication with Britannia Hotels to look at ways forward for the site.

A spokesperson said: "While the district council is the freeholder of the site, Britannia Hotels has a long-term lease with over 100 years left to run, and as a result, the district council has very limited powers to control or influence what happens to the site."

The council said it was launching a new Camber Sands Welcome Centre to provide improved facilities and local information to visitors to give local traders a boost.

Helena Dollimore, the Labour and Co-operative MP for Hastings & Rye, said the community in Camber had been left "in limbo" by the site being "left lying deserted.

She said it was "no secret" the site had been "left dilapidated for many years" and "many repairs have not been done".

She said after her meeting with Britannia Hotels in November they had agreed to a meeting with the council later in December to move the situation forward.

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