ANOTHER new vacancy at Pontins’ holiday park in Prestatyn was posted online last week, despite the site immediately closing for good almost two months ago.
Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, which opened in 1971, was confirmed as shut on November 30, 2023.
But on January 18, Britannia Hotels, which owns the Pontins holiday parks, advertised a new position of maintenance operative at the site.
The job description also states: “Are you looking to take an exciting and new career step in 2024?”
Advertised as a full-time, 40-hours-a-week job paying the national minimum wage, the job’s main duties are said to include:
- Conducting general maintenance inside and out.
- Having basic knowledge of plumbing, carpentry, wall tiling, and decorating skills.
- Being familiar with health and safety instructions.
- Communicating effectively with work colleagues and the public.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions website, the closing date for applications is February 17.
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A member of staff let go by Pontins following its closure told the Journal: "I just think it's totally out of order.
"Sacking all the staff that had been there for years and not saying why, and then asking for new people, is wrong and disgusting."
Another added that there has been "no respect (shown) for any staff members, long- or short-term", having been "basically thrown out the door at Christmas with no notification or explanation".
This is not the first job Britannia has shared since Prestatyn Sands shut – on December 1, 2023, the day after it closed, it advertised a position of a security/CCTV assistant at the site.
Staff at Prestatyn Sands told the Journal they only learnt of the park’s closure when an official statement was shared on Facebook.
They added that the reason they were given for the park’s closure was that it was due to make a financial loss in 2024.
James Davies, MP for Vale of Clwyd, said last week that “discussions need to take place” regarding the site’s future, while Lucy Frazer MP, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, has written to Alex Langsam, chief executive of Britannia Hotels.
Dr Davies has previously written to a dozen successful holiday park operators to encourage them to look at acquiring the site.
On December 7, the Journal was told that, while Britannia Hotels was inviting offers for Prestatyn Sands, it was not yet prepared to enter into negotiations about the site at that stage.
Pontins has also shut its parks in Camber Sands and Southport in the last two months, and has only three open sites remaining in the UK.
Britannia Hotels has been approached for comment.
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