Southport Pontins site could be left empty for over a century as lease details revealed

Pontins in Southport
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Pontins in Southport could lie empty for more than a century, it's been revealed.

The site, which has been dormant since its closure in January this year, is still under the control of Britannia Hotels, Pontins' parent company. However, the ECHO has discovered that Britannia Hotels' leasehold with Sefton Council spans 150 years, with over 130 years remaining.

This means that the council has no say over the land's future use, leaving it entirely up to the hospitality firm to decide the site's fate for the next century. When asked about the Ainsdale site's future, the council confirmed that the company would only need to inform the local authority if there were any planned changes to the site or if the contract was terminated.

READ MORE: Inside abandoned Southport Pontins holiday park that's 'frozen in time'

Following the site's closure earlier this year, Butlin's owner, John Hendry Pickup, quickly associated himself with the idea of purchasing the site. Discussing the potential purchase of either the now-vacant Southport or Prestatyn parks, the holiday park boss said in April that he was interested in acquiring one of the sites but had not yet received a response from Britannia Hotels.

He said: "We would definitely still be interested. We would definitely like a conversation with them."

The site has been left dormant since it closed its doors for the final time in January this year
The site has been left dormant since it closed its doors for the final time in January this year -Credit:Andrew Brown Media

Referring to the Pontins' Southport, he said: "It is an existing site so there is no need to dig up the countryside."

When the company was approached by the ECHO, a spokesman confirmed there was no update in its pursuit of taking control of either site. Photos shared shortly after its closure showed the derelict park looking run down as the chalets across the site sitting eerily empty.

Britannia Hotels confirmed the closure after "assessing the future viability of the park", with staff claiming they were sacked by text message just hours before the announcement was made. Britannia Hotels was approached for comment.

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