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Tourist industry struggles with energy bills

  • by JW

A West Country holiday park business is to close some site areas to reduce energy consumption.

“This is clearly not the time to be giving planning permission to a new caravan park in the Sid Valley.”

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Businesses are struggling in the South West – especially with rising energy costs:

Small businesses reveal how inflation has affected them: ‘Our energy costs have doubled’

Energy bills crisis forces Devon bakery to work at night – Devon Live

Council support to help Devon businesses struggling with high costs and recruitment challenges – News

With a call from the Devon and Cornwall Chamber on BBC Spotlight earlier this evening:

BBC iPlayer – Spotlight – Evening News: 14/11/2022

The story was carried a couple of days earlier too:

Hospitality firms are facing a “perfect storm” which is forcing some businesses into winter shut-downs or permanent closure, business leaders have said. Experts warn restaurants, holiday parks and hotels are struggling with the fallout from Brexit, Covid, living costs and energy bills.

One holiday park boss, who owns sites in Cornwall, said his gas and electric bill would rise by £200,000 this year. Raoul Fraser, CEO of Lovat Parks, said they were facing a £200,000 increase in gas and electric bills this year, just on their four Cornwall holiday sites. Mr Fraser, who owns parks in Padstow, Mawgan Porth, Fowey and Hayle, said they would close some site areas to reduce energy consumption.

He said: “We won’t keep swimming pools open, not all caravans will be available and we’ll reduce the number of people who can come on to our sites. We’ll be making sure when guests stay that they are aware of not leaving the heating on all the time.” Mr Fraser, who employs 70 staff in Cornwall, said he was still hopeful, adding: “We do believe fundamentally people will holiday more in the UK because the price of going abroad is very prohibitive.”

Hospitality firms face ‘perfect storm’ this winter – BBC News

As noted by a local commentator:

“This is clearly not the time to be giving planning permission to a new caravan park in the Sid Valley”:

Unsustainable tourism in the Sid Valley: caravan park rejected – Vision Group for Sidmouth

Especially as elsewhere in the West Country they are not proving popular or sustainable:

Treen campsite plan gets more than 100 objections – BBC News

Rapid increase of UK pop-up campsites raises environmental concerns | Camping holidays | The Guardian