Tourism makes up for about 40 percent of Southport’s economy and the announcement of the permanent closure of Pontins Holiday Park at the start of 2024 has worried local residents who want to see a use for the site that will benefit businesses, locals and tourists.
Speculating on which business could take the spot, Becci Fairhurst, 38, who works in Ainsdale village at the Mecycle Café & Bike Workshop said: “If it’s going to be touristy, it would be good if it was something that local people could use as well, appealing to spend an afternoon down there.”
Ainsdale Village is home to independent retailers, shops, plus a number of bars and restaurants, and is situated three miles south of the centre of Southport.
Station Road is home to a cluster of hospitality outlets and local businessman, Mr Pittounikos, who runs the takeaway Fish Loves Chips is concerned about a drop in trade.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “I think Pontins is going to hit us. Our trade always goes up by around 30 percent to 40 percent in the summer, so that’s a big blow really.
“It may have gone downhill but when you’ve got thousands of people there, lots of them coming into the village. Even if it’s 300 people every week for three months of the year, it’s significant.”
The businessman further highlighted his concerns: “It’s a thriving village but this is a real blow to us. You notice the influx in the summer, we used to staff up for the summer from April, but that won’t be needed if there’s nothing down there.”
Conservative MP for Southport, Damien Moore, said the replacement for Pontins in Southport, owned by Britannia Hotels, would have to be hospitality.
Mr Moore said: “The lease says it has to be hospitality. I would encourage it to stick to that lease, I think it’s important we have that tourism draw in Southport.”
He added: “Ainsdale has a fantastic village centre. It’s a prime location for hospitality, so I would encourage interested people to look at the wider site – the Sands and Toad Hall. As a business model, a bigger area would help them, giving them more space.”
However, Patrick Hurley, who hopes to become Southport’s first Labour MP, explained a “priority” was helping staff into new jobs. He highlighted how the latest business closure was yet another example of how it has become difficult for businesses to cover their costs.
He explained: “Sky high inflation, outdated tax systems and not enough money in people’s payslips have all combined to mean that when external shocks hit, there’s nothing put aside for inevitable downturns. I just hope this will be the last bit of bad economic news to hit Southport this year.”
The closure of Pontins, Southport, follows two other resorts – Camber Sands and Prestatyn, which shut in 2022.
Staff based at the resort, claimed they found out their jobs were lost by text messages, just hours before the announcement was made on January 3.
In a statement online, Pontins Southport said that after assessing the “future viability of the park, we have come to the difficult decision to close our doors.”
