by From the road, all you can see of Pontins at Camber Sands is the huge purple reception building and a closed gate. Its sudden closure this week (along with that of sister resort Prestatyn in north Wales) marks the end of an era for a seaside holiday park that opened in 1968 and had its heyday in the following decade.
In 2011, Pontins was saved from administration by the current owners of Britannia Hotels, but in recent years reviews of Camber Sands have sometimes been unkind; see Booking.com: “Think of POW camps in old movies” and TripAdvisor: “This is the worst caravan we have ever stayed in and we will never return.”
Despite the many positive reviews (especially about the staff at Pontins), it is clear that tourists expected better from this once-loved holiday park.
Camber itself is a small village situated along the magnificent Camber Sands beach, just over the border from Kent in East Sussex. Approaching from the east, the first thing you see in Camber are lines of white static caravans crouching behind the sea defenses – Parkdean Resorts caravans and lodges that, along with Pontins, dwarf the town’s footprint. In summer, visitors outnumber locals by 250 to 1 (in 2020, Rother District Council reported that up to 25,000 people head to Camber Sands each day) and tourism businesses depend on this seasonal income. (but don’t mention parking to the locals). .
On a cold, sunny December day, many of Camber’s businesses are closed and the huge sandy beach and its car parks are sparsely populated with dog walkers. In the cafes and businesses that are open, rumors and speculation abound about what will happen next at the Pontins site. From redevelopment and reopening to rebuilding new housing or even a detention center for asylum seekers, everyone has an opinion.
On the wealthy cobbled streets of nearby Rye, there is much less talk about the sudden closure of Pontins, although at the Heritage Center in Strand Quay (ryeheritage.co.uk), volunteers Steve and Lee are concerned about the knock-on effect. Tourists often came to Rye to visit a cafe or eat fish and chips, and on a rainy day they would spend time in the center’s shopping arcade and at the Town Model sound and light show.
Steve Pontins’ fondest memories are of big work events with bands like Showaddywaddy and Boney M, and the most recent Rockabilly Rave weekends, when they brought vintage American cars to town on Sunday (no update yet on whether the 26th The annual Rockabilly Rave will take place in 2024, or wherever it could be held).
Lee lives in Camber and says “people had gotten used to Pontins being there; “They liked to criticize, but there is a feeling of ‘better the devil you know’.” His biggest concern about the closure is that it will become a migrant hub (something the Home Office strongly denies).
Lee tells me: “It’s not practical, there are only just over a thousand residents in Camber, and at one point there was talk [before Pontins signed their most recent lease] of more than 2,000 immigrants. “Imagine them wandering around, with nothing to do.” He points out that there is no infrastructure of schools, doctors or public transportation and says residents are worried about what a migrant center would mean for the town and for housing prices.
“It’s all the not knowing; Nobody comes out and says what the plan really is.”
Back in Camber, at the Marina Café on the beach, which has been open year-round since 1985, cafe worker Louise is hoping someone will take over the holiday park and invest some money in it. She tells me: “I know it’s not the best place, but at least people can afford to go. “Some people hate it, but others come back every year because it’s reasonable.” She notes that Pontins staff received only two hours’ notice of the closure (and some found out on social media), and that letting everyone go just before Christmas was quite difficult: “This is a vacation town, so, Where do people go? To get a job?
From all indications, the sudden announcement also surprised Rother Town Council, which owns the freehold of the site. A spokesperson said: “Rother District Council was shocked to learn of the closure of Pontins in Camber, a popular holiday destination for thousands of families in the summer months. As the absolute owners of the site, we have received no communication from Pontins or its parent company, Britannia Hotels, regarding the closure, its duration or their intentions for the site in the long term. “We sympathize with those who may have lost their jobs at this time of year and are disappointed with customers whose holiday plans have been disrupted.”
So what about those who still want to stay on holiday in Camber? Pontins was fairly self-sufficient in terms of facilities and entertainment, and after its closure, visitors will not find much to do (for many, part of the town’s appeal). Families love the huge beach and dunes, and The Kitesurf Center (thekitesurfcentre.com), run by Rupert and his brothers, is the ideal place for kitesurfing, kitesurfing, hydrofoiling, stand-up paddleboarding and windsurfing. Rupert says they rarely saw Pontins customers (perhaps the occasional deer), so the closure shouldn’t have a big impact on business, although he expects an impact on the town: “some good, some bad.”
Finally, just meters from the Pontins entrance, but at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of holiday accommodation, is The Gallivant (thegallivant.co.uk), an adults-only wellness retreat aimed squarely at the people of the city that wants good food. , good wine, rest and rejuvenation. There’s not a blue coat in sight, and it’s definitely not a sports tour destination (typical Pontins weekend events).
It’s clear that sea change is underway in Camber, but for those hoping for a cheap family holiday on the British coast, their options have become more limited.
