More than 40 “serious players” have shown an interest in taking on crisis-hit holiday park operator Pontin’s.

But administrator KPMG could give no guarantee as to whether the Pontin’s camp at Prestatyn in North Wales would still be given a £5m makeover.

Southport-based Pontin’s, which has five British sites and employs 850 people, was taken over by Ocean Parks last year and went into administration at the weekend.

Prestatynwas set for a major multi-million pound revamp, which would include a new ice and roller skating rink and all-weather sports arena.

The centre is well-used by people from Merseyside but a question mark now hangs over the plans.

Despite this, Dave Costley-Wood, a partner in Manchester-based KPMG, told LDp Business the future looks bright for the company.

“We’re going to have to make a handful of redundancies at the head office in Southport – around four or five people – but there will be no redundancies at any of the camps,” he said.

“We’ve brought in Bridge Leisure to help us run them and will be conducting a sale from next week over the next two to three months.

“It will not be a fire sale, it will be a proper process so the right buyer is found.”

“Around 40 or so people have shown an interest in the sites.

“Some would like to take on one or two of them, while others would like to take them all.

“These include rival holiday park operators, property developers and private equity interest.”
Mr Costley-Wood said among them was Indian millionaire Bhanu Choudhrie and his family’s investment vehicle C&C Alpha Group, whom he had been speaking to in past days.

He added the future of the Prestatyn camp and its multi-million pound overhaul would be down to whoever takes it on.

“We don’t have the resources to do that, it will be down to whoever we sell it to and what they want to do with the camp.

“But for now it is business as usual, we are keeping things running and took around 40 bookings yesterday alone.

“The brochure for 2011 is about to come out and we will have around 20,000 guests at all the sites.

“We are hopeful of finding an investor and are dealing with serious players,” he added.

Pontin’s was started when Fred Pontin opened the first Pontin’s Holiday Park in Brean Sands in 1946.

It is best known for its “blue coats” who offer entertainment and help to holidaymakers.

The company was bought by Ocean Parks for £46m in 2008, who closed a site in Blackpool last year.