September 25, 2018 4.20 pm This story is over 67 months old

Former Mablethorpe holiday home for children to be sold

The holiday park has been operating for more than 80 years
Leicester Children's Holiday Centre, in Quebec Road, Mablethorpe. Photo: Google Streetview.

East Lindsey District Council, along with a national charity, is set to sell a historic holiday camp which has been running for more than 80 years.

During its executive meeting tomorrow (Wednesday), the authority’s leaders will look at selling the former Leicester Boys and Girls Holiday Home, in Quebec Road, Mablethorpe.

It follows a decision by the trustees of the Leicester Poor Boys’ and Girls’ Summer Camp and Institute, who originally built the facility, to stop providing educational seaside holidays for under-privileged children from Leicester and the surrounding area.

A previous decision by the council rejected sale by auction and the property was put on the market, with offers of around £250,000 being received.

A buyer has reportedly already been found, but no details are available on who.

Portfolio Holder for Finance, Councillor Richard Fry, said: “Earlier this year the trustees of the charity declared its operation to be no longer financially viable for reasons outside of the Council’s control.

“In order to assist in facilitating a sale to a suitable new end user, ELDC has agreed, subject to Executive Board approval, to  merge its freehold reversionary interest with the leasehold interest.

“This will enable a sale of the site freehold with vacant possession. It is anticipated that any future proposed use of the property will prove beneficial to Mablethorpe and the surrounding area.”

The authority is set to receive 50 per cent of the sale price – once costs are taken into account.

A report before leaders states the sale will also ‘enable provision of ongoing social and community based services for the area’.

It calls the move “an opportunity for ELDC to achieve a substantial windfall capital receipt whilst preventing an otherwise redundant and vacant building falling into disrepair with associated reputational damage to the Council.”

It warns: “ELDC could be criticised for not assisting in making the property saleable. There is a very real concern that the property will end up derelict and becoming a magnet for vandalism and anti-social behaviour problems.”

The facility was built in the 1930s, with a 99-year rent starting from April 6, 1934 at an annual ground rent of £10. It still has 15 years left on that lease.

According to the reports, it replaced an earlier wooden building and includes four dormitories of 16-beds each.

It also holds a series of communal rooms including a refectory, a stage, a kitchen and laundry facilities.

A video from 1920, showing the charity in action can be viewed here.

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