Butlin's in move to take over abandoned Pontins holiday park

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Holiday camp giant Butlin's is reportedly considering a move to buy up the abandoned Pontins holiday park in Southport. The sudden closure of the site in January sent shockwaves through the region.

It came just two months after the closure of two other Pontins sites - Prestatyn Sands and Camber Sands in East Sussex. Butlins' boss, John Hendry Pickup, has revealed that its agents have contacted Pontins' owner Britannia Hotels about taking over its closed-down locations in either Southport or Prestatyn, North Wales.

However, they have yet to receive a response. READ MORE: "Everything I can't show on YouTube... I show here": The vlogger charging £13 a month for creepy footage of Manchester women Given its proximity to markets in the north west, Southport may be the frontrunner for potential acquisition.

Mr Hendry Pickup said if Butlin’s was to buy the Southport site, it would likely demolish its existing structures, indicating a long-term investment plan. "We would definitely still be interested," Mr Hendry Pickup told the Mirror. "We would definitely like a conversation with them." Referring to the Pontins’ Southport, he said: "It is an existing site so there is no need to dig up the countryside." Were it to get the site, he said it would most likely flatten what is there now, meaning it would be a longer-term investment.