Closure of Butlins Hayling Island

2009

The Butlins holiday park on Hayling Island closed in 2009, ending decades of holiday camp operation on the site. The closure reflected changing holiday patterns, with British families increasingly travelling abroad and the traditional holiday camp model losing its appeal. The closure removed the island's largest employer and visitor attraction, and the economic impact was significant. The large seafront site became a development opportunity, and plans for housing and mixed-use development on the former camp land have been a major planning issue for the island. The closure marked the end of an era for Hayling Island, bringing to a close the island's long association with the holiday camp industry that had begun with Warner's in the 1930s.