Pubs allowed to open - but not pools!

As Jon Finley sits in the office at his home in Woodhall Spa, you can understand why he doesn’t share the same enthusiasm as our prime minister for July 4 and beyond.

Mr Finley is a trustee and financial director of Jubilee Park Woodhall Spa (JPWS).

It’s one of the oldest and certainly most popular holiday parks in the country, a stream of repeat guests lured by superb gardens, immaculate caravan and camping facilities and - according to one national poll - the best outdoor swimming pool in the country.

Throw in a host of other family attractions and you’d think JPWS were on to a winner.

And, they were....until Covid-19 came along.

When the park shut up shop at the end of last season, they thought they would re-open in April.

And, that list of attractions was boosted by a state-of-the-art gym (all £800,000 of it) which initially attracted massive interest.

The gym, though, never opened. Only a lucky few stepped on the new computer-controlled bikes.

It wasn’t just the gym.

Thanks to Covid-19, the barriers to the entire park remained in place.

Over the last few weeks, there was a twinkling of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel - as Mr Finley explained.

He said: “All the speculation and reports up until last Tuesday was that we would be able to full open from July 4 - including the pool.

“We had everything in place so when the announcement came (that the pool could not reopen) you could say we were not impressed.

“To be fair, listen to Boris, it was totally depressing - not just for us but for other holiday parks as well.”

The best laid plans had to be abandoned.

The caravan site will open - but will run at 50 per cent capacity. Only fully equipped caravans and camper vans (toilets included) will be allowed. There will be no camping allowed - and no swimming.

The children’s playground will be open, but it’s likely parents will be advised their offspring use it at their own risk.

The park’s various sporting activities will be able to go ahead but anyone wanting a toilet break will have to use the public loos in the centre of the village - a good 10-minute walk away.

Those bikes - computers and all - will remain in reverse gear.

Mr Finley explained: “To open up our own toilet facilities, we need to employ staff to clean and maintain them to meet the new guidelines.

“But if there’s no pool and only 50 per cent capacity, there will not be enough people to justify the expense of employing the staff.

“As things stand, at the playground, we’re going to have to put up signs, along the lines of you use the equipment at your own risk.

“If there’s 10 kids using the equipment, how are we supposed to clean it?”

It’s a similar story with the park’s cafe, which is leased by JPWS to owners.

Mr Finley explained: “We’d love to see the cafe open but we’re talking to the owners and they are not sure that will be the case.

“They’ve all the measures to put in place, all the other costs yet if there’s no pool and only 50 per cent capacity in the caravan site - will they get enough custom to justify opening?”

While the lack of a pool will be a blow to visitors, it’s hardly great news for the trustees.

Suggestions the park might open until the winter are not really the answer either.

Mr Finley added: “Give or take, the pool costs around £1,000-a-day to run.

“But once the kids go back to school, we only take around £500 a day - at best.

“If we start opening it in October and November, we might get a few people using it but nowhere near enough to cover that £1,000.

“We’d be losing money so what is the point?”

Indeed, it’s the confusion about the guidelines about who can do what, where and when that is adding to the frustration for many hospitality businesses.

Mr Finley said: “How is it that you can walk into a takeaway in Woodhall Spa and buy a pizza without any social distancing in place - yet you can’t use a chlorinated outdoor swimming pool which is probably one of the safest places in the entire village?

“It’s ridiculous.”

Mr Finley admits its of little comfort when he hears about the issues facing other holiday parks in the area.

He says the fact that some will not open - and some will operate with a reduced capacity - will understandably have an impact on Woodhall Spa’s economy, which relives heavily on visitors.

And, while the award winning Petwood Hotel will be open, its guests will not be able to pop along to Jubilee Park for a swim before breakfast...or at any other time for that matter.

Mr Finley said: “It’s easy to get down about the situation but if we can salvage something - anything - from the summer it will be worth it.

“The financial situation is desperate. No income and we’ve still had bills to pay. However, if we can get through this then Jubilee Park Woodhall Spa will live to fight another day”