In 1964, Butlins and ABC Cinemas unveiled an ambitious plan to build a new holiday camp and leisure complex in Blackpool. The project, called Ventureland, was to be located on the site of the old airfield next to Stanley Park. It was set to feature a large Butlins holiday camp, an ABC drive-in cinema with space for 1,000 cars, an exhibition complex, and various other attractions. However, the plans were eventually abandoned, and Blackpool Zoo was later built on part of the site.
The following year, Butlins shifted their focus to Southport, where they proposed building a 100-acre camp with 2,000 chalets in Ainsdale, just north of Shore Road. The plan faced strong opposition from the Residents Association, and after a lengthy debate in July 1965, Southport Town Council rejected the proposal. They later offered Butlins an alternative site in Marshside, but Bobby Butlin rejected it after a personal inspection.
Less than a month after Butlins’ rejection, Pontins stepped in with a proposal to build a smaller, 30-acre camp with 700 chalets just south of Shore Road. Pontins emphasized that it would not be a traditional holiday camp but a “chalet village.” The Tory candidate for Ainsdale voiced his opposition, stating, “I am against a holiday camp north, west, south, or east of Shore Road.” A public inquiry was held in January 1967, during which the town council expressed support for the plan, while the Residents Association presented a petition with 3,000 signatures opposing it. In June 1967, the Minister of Housing approved the proposal, and a long lease was granted.
Construction began in May 1968, with Southport Mayor Alderman Mitchell cutting the first sod. The camp, built by Hemmings & Kent, a construction company owned by Pontins protégé Trevor Hemmings, was completed in just nine months with 400 workers. The chalets, located in 68 two-storey blocks, were all traditionally built in brick, using no precast or prefab components.
It was one of the new style of self-catering ‘rent-a-chalet’ camps that had been pioneered by Pontins at Brean Sands. It consisted of hundreds of flats housing thousands of people. These huge camps lacked the charm and character of the smaller sites and most ended up looking more like council estates. But from a business perspective they were hugely profitable.
Pontins Southport opened in May 1969 and was an immediate success. Olympic swimmer Neil Jackson christened the new indoor pool by taking the first plunge.
Pontins announced that 25,000 people had already booked holidays before the camp had even opened. Each of the 781 apartments was equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, lounge, dining area, and one or two bedrooms. Electricity was provided via a coin meter, and TVs were also coin-operated. Showers required you to press a button every few seconds to keep the water running.
The camp offered a range of facilities, including a large indoor swimming pool, a boating lake, a playground, a children’s nursery, and a massive entertainment building with a ballroom and several bars. It also featured a games room, launderette, hair salon, and a first-aid station staffed by a registered nurse. Fred Pontin acquired a bungalow nearby on Chatsworth Road.
In 1973, Pontin applied to expand the camp by another 15 acres, but the plans were rejected. He tried again in December 1977, sweetening the deal by also offering to build a new motel and conference center in Southport overlooking Marine Lake. However, just three weeks later, Pontins shares were suspended after Coral Leisure launched a takeover bid. The Southport plans were quickly forgotten, and Pontin was forced out of office.
Trevor Hemmings then came back to the scene, replacing Pontin as managing director. A few years later he bought the entire company. However, his primary interest was in closing camps and redeveloping the land. Southport was spared only because the land was leased from the council.
By the 1990s, the Southport camp, like many of the remaining sites, had become neglected and rundown. In 1996, Pontins launched a £55 million refurbishment program, though the funds were spread across eight camps. At Southport, most of the apartments received new double glazing, with some also getting new kitchens and bathrooms. Several new attractions were added including a junior driving school, quad bikes and an abseiling wall.
By the 2000s, the camp had deteriorated significantly. Rather than addressing the problems, Pontins kept lowering prices, offering various deals and discounts.
Once a company boasting 22 sites, Pontins had been reduced to just five camps, which were acquired by Britannia Hotels in 2011.
Although Britannia has often been blamed for Pontins’ decline, they actually inherited a bunch of rundown camps that had been starved of investment for years. To their credit, Britannia did make efforts to improve the sites by refurbishing most of the chalets with new paint, floors, furniture, kitchens, and bathrooms. Public buildings had their carpets replaced, swimming pools were upgraded, and entertainment venues were revamped. Under Britannia’s ownership, the camps looked better than they had in years.
But while Butlins were going upmarket and raising their prices Pontins were doing the opposite and lowering theirs. And while Butlins were replacing old chalets, Southport was still stuck with its 1960s-style “council flats”. Although the cheap prices kept the camp full it didn’t leave much left over for cleaning, maintenance or future investment. The cheap prices often attracted undesirable guests. The camp started looking dirty and rundown again. The reviews got worse and after a promising start Britannia seemed to give up and admit defeat.
They eventually threw in the towel in 2023 by announcing the closures of camps at Camber Sands, Southport and Prestatyn. Brean Sands also closed due to a 3 year contract to house workers for the nearby Hinckley C nuclear project. Its long term future is unknown.
