Pontin's to create 2,000 new jobs

Holiday firm Pontin's is to invest £50 million in its six UK sites, creating over 2,000 new jobs, it was announced today.

The new posts will include catering, retail and bar staff as well as Blue Coats and will involve a mixture of full time, part time and seasonal positions.

Owners Ocean Parcs said it was "particularly rewarding" to create new jobs while the country was in recession.

Pontin's has holiday parks at six seaside locations - four self-catering at Brean Sands, Somerset; Camber Sands, East Sussex; Prestatyn Sands, North Wales and Ainsdale Beach in Southport, and two half-board at Blackpool and Pakefield, near Lowestoft in Suffolk.

The firm said entertainment, catering and bar facilities will be refurbished.

The sites at Brean Sands and Prestatyn Sands will be completely refurbished, and the centres at Camber Sands and Southport will be completely redesigned and re-built. The Pakefield holiday centre will double in size and capacity.

Ian Smith, chief executive of Ocean Parcs, said: "We are tremendously excited about the investment planned for the development of our Pontin's holiday centres and the employment and tourism revenue that will be generated by this substantial investment.

"It is particularly rewarding to be able to announce these plans which will not only generate increased tourism but create over 2,000 new jobs whilst the country is in a recession."

Clarke Osborne, the firm's property director, said: "We have been working on our next generation of holiday centres for over nine months and I think that the results of this careful design strategy will be very well received by both our extensive and loyal customer base and new customers that are joining us each year.

"We have commenced dialogue with some of our local councils, business leaders and planners and received encouraging responses. This dialogue will be extended to all our holiday centres as it is our intention to submit proposals for planning permission during the year."