REACTIONS ranging from shock to concern greeted reports this week that Butlin’s is poised to break its 60-year link with Minehead by putting its holiday park up for auction next year.

The move comes less than 12 months since privately-owned Bourne Leisure sold a majority stake to equity giant Blackstone in a deal valuing the group at £3 billion.

Minehead civic leaders said they were anxious for more details about the possible future of the holiday park, which at its peak has brought up to 7,000 visitors a week into the town.

Minehead BID chairman Graham Sizer said: "The news that Butlin’s have decided to put their business on the market is a concern and we await further news on what the implications of any sale could be for the town.

"Butlin’s is an extremely valuable asset to Minehead, being a large employer and a huge contributor to the vibrancy and economy of the town, bringing in large numbers of visitors every year.

"While we await more information we will continue to work with the local team to ensure that Butlin’s remains at the heart of the community in which it is based."

The sale will involve the three remaining Butlin’s holiday centres - Minehead, Skegness and Bognor Regis. At one point there were nine camps, seven hotels and even a Butlin’s in the Bahamas. Sir Billy Butlin founded the business in 1936 after he ’felt sorry for families staying in guest houses with nothing to do’.

The Minehead Butlin’s opened in 1962 at a cost of £2 million and was known as Butlin’s Minehead until 1987, becoming Somerwest World until 1999 before re-opening as Butlin’s Minehead Resort.

It is said to have benefited recently from the staycation trend driven by the Covid pandemic.

Financial analysts said this week that Bourne Leisure and Blackstone had decided that Butlin’s - the smallest company in the group - was ’non-core to their future objectives’, but experts predicted that there would be ’a deluge of interest in acquiring the brand and its three sites from rival holiday park operators’.

Bankers Rothschild are understood to have been retained by Blackstone and Bourne to conduct the auction.

Minehead’s mayor Cllr Paul Bolton said he was shocked on hearing that the holiday centre was to be sold. "We certainly can’t afford to lose Butlin’s which has become a vital part of the economy of the town," he said. "It brings in a huge number of people and that inevitably benefits local businesses."

Cllr Bolton said winter visitors were particularly valuable to the town’s economy, while those taking summer holidays tended to stay more on site.

"On the other hand, not all residents are happy with the number of winter adult weekends and music events, and we do get complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour."

He added: "Today’s Butlin’s has changed considerably from Billy Butlin’s original idea of family fun.

And there are people in the town who hope that whoever buys the business will continue the traditions of a family seaside holiday provider which first put Minehead on the map as a major tourist destination."

Blackstone and Bourne Leisure has yet to make a statement on the matter.