A meeting next week will look at the future of the Pontins site at Camber – a year after the holiday camp suddenly closed.
Pontins owner Britannia Hotels will be represented at the meeting along with Rother District Council (RDC), which owns the site’s freehold, and local MP Helena Dollimore.
During an interview with BBC Radio Sussex on Wednesday, December 11 Christine Bayliss, RDC’s deputy leader, confirmed Britannia are still paying rent on the site on a lease with more than a hundred years to run. “It’s difficult with such an old lease to enforce things but it is Britannia’s responsibility to put right the dilapidations on the site. We’ve had conversations but I’m disappointed that things have not moved further along.”
She confirmed the site will probably need to be demolished with RDC looking at taking back control of the site. “Nothing would please me more than seeing what we could do with the site by leasing it out to another operator.”
She acknowledged that would mean the council taking responsibility for repairing the site.
MP Helena Dollimore met representatives from Britannia Hotels in November and organised the meeting next week which will see Britannia finally sit down with Rother. “It’s progress, but for a whole year now the Pontins site has been abandoned, leaving the Camber community in limbo. The site is dilapidated and many repairs have not been done. The key for me is ensuring those repairs are completed before the site re-opens.”
Britannia Hotels have been approached for comment.
Pontins used to attract tens of thousands of visitors at the 32-acre site at Camber. The closure has had a devastating effect on local shops and businesses. Work begins in the new year on the £2.5million Camber welcome centre.
Image Credits: Nick Forman .