Plans Submitted for Pontins Southport Redevelopment
Britannia Hotels Group has confirmed it has submitted plans to Sefton Council for the former Pontins holiday park in Southport, which has been vacant since its closure in January 2024. The company says the proposals aim to create a 'positive long-term outcome' for the site on Shore Road.
Background and Speculation
The announcement comes more than two years after the holiday park shut down, and follows weeks of speculation about the site's future, including unsubstantiated claims it was being used to house asylum seekers. Local MP Bill Esterson dismissed those rumours, stating: "The government has no plans to use the Pontins site to accommodate asylum seekers. Claims circulating online and in videos suggesting otherwise are inaccurate and deliberately misleading."
Police Training Use Confirmed
In February 2026, Merseyside Police confirmed they had used the vacant site for training exercises involving police dogs and officers. A police spokesperson said: "We use a number of venues, both vacant and populated, together with open land across the region, to assist our dogs and officers with their ongoing training. It is common practice for police forces to be regularly risk assessed and done with the permission of the site owners."
Britannia's Long-Term Commitment
Britannia Hotels, which holds a 150-year lease on the site from Sefton Council, has been conducting surveys and assessments over the past year. A company representative told the Liverpool Echo: "We continue to undertake surveys, assessments and site management activities at our three vacant Pontins sites. This forms part of our work with an appointed planning consultancy to develop pre-application proposals. These have now been submitted to planning officers at the respective local authorities and we are awaiting dates to discuss their feedback. This will enable us to progress the proposals and secure positive long-term outcomes for all sites."
Next Steps
The plans are now with Sefton Council for review, with Britannia awaiting a meeting to discuss feedback. The company has not yet disclosed specific details of the proposed development, but the submission marks a significant step toward reviving the iconic seaside holiday park.
