Pontins Pakefield holiday park to close to public in January

Work is due to begin in January as the Pontins Pakefield Holiday Village outside Lowestoft is transformed into accommodation for 500 workers who will be constructing a nuclear power station.

It will mark the end of an era at a popular resort that has attracted hundreds of thousands of guests over almost 80 years.

In April this newspaper revealed that Sizewell C had reached a rental agreement with Pontins Pakefield in Lowestoft to deliver "a long-term legacy for the area".

The firm said no staff at the Pontins resort would lose their jobs and it promised "considerable refurbishment" as they take over the whole of the site.

With the site set to close to the public from early 2025, it means that approaching the final few weeks of holidays, special themed breaks and short stays at the venue on London Road, it is set for a new lease of life in less than three months.

In its heyday, up to 1,200 guests could be accommodated during peak periods at the holiday park in Pakefield.

Dating back to the mid 1950s it has attracted generations of families over the years and provided numerous jobs for locals, and since 2020 it has been an adult-only resort.

Sizewell C, which is partly funded by the French energy company EDF, is set to be built on land between Aldeburgh and Southwold - with construction costs earmarked about £20 billion to £35bn.

Work is now gathering pace on the Sizewell C site - with the project creating thousands of new jobs and training opportunities for the region, including 1,500 new apprenticeships.

An artists impression of the Sizewell C plans. Picture: Newsquest libraryThe new year will eventually see the 500 workers living at Pontins being transported by bus from the park to the east Suffolk power plant from January - a 21-mile (34 km) journey - with construction of the power plant estimated to last almost a decade.

'Additional opportunities for on site employment'

A Sizewell C spokesman said: "Our agreement with Pontins is effective from January 2025.

"The site is still operational as a holiday park until the end of this year, so we'll begin refurbishment in January once we’re on site.

"We expect the refurbishment to be completed in the second quarter of 2025, so we’ll be staggering occupancy from the start of year onwards.

"Once some of the team are in residence, we’ll establish a direct bus service from the site to Sizewell C.

"Without seasonal dependency, and with Sizewell C workers resident on the site across the year, the agreement provides additional opportunities for on site employment."

While Pontins and its owners Britannia Hotels have however remained tight-lipped over the developments, it is understood that on completion of the project the park will be handed back to Britannia Hotels.