Some holidaymakers visiting Pontins Brean Sands have been less than impressed over the years. Scathing reviews of people leaving after just a few minutes due to dirty chalets have been commonly reported.
In 2022, the Pontins Brean Sands TripAdvisor page has received 21 reviews, 16 of which rated the establishment one out of five. Alyson wrote: "We had planned to stay for a long weekend but when we saw the room and we promptly gave back the key and left. The room was filthy - we wouldn't put our dog in it."
But things could be looking up for the resort as a £2m refurbishment has now been completed by EDF Energy. Eventually, the site will house around 900 Hinkley C workers, reports Somerset Live.
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The move will see the holiday park, owned by Britannia Hotels, used for workers for three years before it reverts back to its original use. The existing facility is made up of 600 chalets , a leisure complex, swimming pool, shop, outdoor facilities including play areas, car parking and ancillary green areas in between the chalet buildings.
A massive refurbishment of the chalets has been carried out - including new kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, TVs, and all new Wi-Fi access. The restaurant, bar and laundry areas have also been upgraded and a brand-new gym installed.
A bus service will be provided for the workers to travel to the Hinkley Point C (HPC) construction site. The Pontins site, previously visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, is around 15 miles from the Hinkley C site.
The future of the Pontins site had been uncertain and the facilities in need of modernisation – but Hinkley Point C’s investment will leave it in a better condition for future holidaymakers. EDF says its use of Pontins will bring year-around benefits to the local economy outside of the holiday season.
More than 80 full-time year-round jobs have been created and workers will spend millions of pounds in the local area. Community groups can also access Hinkley Point C’s £20 million community fund – with groups in Berrow and Burnham already receiving over two hundred thousand pounds in grants.
The park’s swimming pool is also being maintained and it remains open for community use. Workers are also bringing their families to stay at the chalets and are making use of the beach and local leisure attractions.
Tommy Marshall, an industrial relations manager for BYLOR, said: “I’ve been living here for six months, and it suits me because I can really make my chalet my own. My partner and six children, who live in Ireland, also come to stay with me regularly.
"The kids absolutely love it because there’s loads for them to do – like the beach, the amusement arcades and getting an ice-cream. They wish they could live here all the time.”
But not all locals are impressed with changes at Potins. Business owners have spoken about their worries for the future and the effects of low tourist numbers - even before the closure, holiday resorts have been suffering from both the pandemic and the ensuing cost of living crisis. A reporter from The Mirror went to visit the 'ghost town' to see if it was really as haunting and eerie as it was made out to be.
Locals spoke of their concerns ahead of the summer but added that the resort being out of action hasn't meant a lack of business in the season so far. While people seemed few and far between, reporter Nia Dalton was assured business picked up during the weekends.
One middle-aged bakery worker, who prefers to remain anonymous, said that it "hasn't been this quiet in six years" and it's "understandably worrying for businesses". She continued: "Hinkley might help the local pubs but not our bakery. We're shut when they're in town.
"It was fairly busy on the bank holiday. We haven't got to summer yet. That will be the real test to see if it will pick up."
Opposite the locked and bolted Pontins sits an entertainment centre, full of arcade games and the glorious 2p machines. While there were no punters trying their hand at a big 60p copper haul, one staff member said the weekends had been significantly busier.
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