From the road, all you can see of Pontins at Camber Sands is the huge purple reception building and a locked gate. Its sudden closure this week, alongside sister resort Prestatyn in north Wales, marks the end of an era for the seaside holiday park, which opened its doors in 1968 and enjoyed its heyday in the following decade.
In 2011 Pontins was rescued from administration by current owners Britannia Hotels, but reviews of Camber Sands in recent years have sometimes been less than kind – see Booking.com: “Think of prisoner of war camps in old movies” and TripAdvisor: “This is the worst caravan we have ever stayed in and we will never go back.”
Despite the large number of positive reviews (especially about Pontins staff), it is clear that holidaymakers expect better from this once-loved holiday park.
Camber is a small village in East Sussex, lined up along the stunning Camber Sands beach, just over the Kent border. Approaching from the east, your first sight of Camber is white static caravans hidden behind sea defences; Parkdean Resorts caravans and lodges, which, along with Pontins, dwarf the village’s footprint. In summer, visitors outnumber locals 250 to 1 (in 2020, Rother District Council reported that up to 25,000 people head to Camber Sands each day) and tourism businesses rely on this seasonal income (not to mention parking for locals). .
On a cold, sunny day in December, many businesses in Camber are closed and the huge beach and its car parks are sparsely filled with people walking their dogs. Rumors and speculations about what will happen next at the Pontins facility are rife in cafes and businesses that are open. From redevelopment and reopening to rewilding, new homes and even an asylum seeker detention centre, everyone has an opinion.
There is much less talk about Pontins’ sudden closure in the well-maintained cobblestone streets of nearby Rye, but volunteers Steve and Lee at the Heritage Center at Strand Quay (ryeheritage.co.uk) worry about a knock-on effect. Holidaymakers would often come to Rye to visit a café or have fish and chips, and on a rainy day would spend time at the centre’s pay arcade and Town Model light and sound show.
Steve’s fondest memories of Pontins are big work events with bands like Showaddywaddy and Boney M, and the more recent Rockabilly Rave weekends when vintage American cars came to town on Sunday (no update yet on whether there will be 26).he The annual Rockabilly Rave will continue in 2024 or wherever it may be hosted).
Lee lives in Camber and says: “People have gotten used to Pontins being there; “They liked knocking on the door, but there is a feeling of ‘the devil you know is better’.” His biggest concern about the closure is that it will be turned into an immigration hub (something the Home Office vehemently denies).
Lee told me: “It’s not practical, there are only just over a thousand residents in Camber and there had been conversations at one point. [before Pontins signed their most recent lease] There are more than 2000 immigrants. “Imagine them wandering around with nothing to do.” He points out there are no schools, doctors or public transport infrastructure and says residents are worried about what an immigrant center would mean for the village and housing prices.
“All this comes from not knowing; “No one is coming out and saying what the plan actually is.”
Back in Camber, Louise, a café worker at the seaside Marina Cafe, which has been open all year round since 1985, is hoping someone will buy the holiday park and put some money into it. “I know it’s not the best place, but at least people can afford to go,” She tells me. Some people hate it, but some come back year after year because it’s reasonable.” Pontins notes that staff were only informed of the closure two hours before (and some heard about it on social media) and that it was quite difficult to let everyone leave just before Christmas: “This is a resort, so where are people going? “To find a job?”
By all accounts, Rother District Council, which owns the site, was also taken aback by this sudden announcement. A spokesman said: “Rother District Council was surprised to learn of the closure of Pontins in Camber, a popular summer holiday destination for thousands of families. As the freeholder of the site, Pontins or their parent company, Britannia Hotels, are not responsible for the closure, the duration or the length of time the site will be closed.” “We have not received any communication about their future intentions. We sympathize with those who may have lost their jobs at this time of year and are disappointed for our customers whose holiday plans have been disrupted.”
But what about those who still want to stay in Camber for holidays? Pontins used to be fairly self-sufficient in terms of facilities and entertainment, and once it closes visitors won’t find much to do (part of the appeal of the village for many). Families love the gorgeous big beach and dunes, and the Kitesurfing Center (thekitesurfcentre.com), run by Rupert and his brothers, is the place to go for kite burrowing, kite boarding, hydrofoiling, stand-up paddleboarding and windsurfing. Rupert says they rarely see customers from Pontins, perhaps the occasional stag, so the closure shouldn’t have a major impact on business, but he expects an impact on the village: “some good, some bad”.
Finally, just yards from the Pontins entrance but at the other end of the spectrum in terms of holiday accommodation, The Gallivant (thegallivant.co.uk) is an adults-only wellness retreat aimed squarely at city crowds looking for good food. , good wine, rest and rejuvenation. Not a blue jacket in sight and certainly not a destination for a sports tour (Pontins’ bread-and-butter weekend events).
It’s clear there’s been a sea change in Camber, but options have become even more limited for those hoping for a cheap, family-friendly holiday on the British coast.