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£2 million upgrade of Pontins Brean Sands complete as hundreds of workers move in
A £2m refurbishment of a Somerset holiday park for hundreds of workers at Hinkley Point C has been completed. EDF Energy has finished its huge makeover of Pontins Brean Sands Holiday Park which will eventually house around 900 staff working on the power plant.
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 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.
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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.
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.
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.
The cost-of-living crisis and poor weather in the early season is affecting tourism nationwide, but Brean continues to be a popular destination. Businesses which may be more affected by the project’s use of the holiday park are also being given support.
Grants are being made available for businesses to adapt and the project is also funding marketing campaigns to bring new visitors to the area.
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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.”
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