Member Article

Leisure operator expands its portfolio with acquisition of County Durham holiday parks

Two premium leisure parks have been acquired by holiday park operator Verdant Leisure as it continues to expand its portfolio of holiday sites.

The group, who were formed in 2010 from a management buy-in of Dunham Leisure Limited, have added Kingfisher and Heather View holiday parks to their site line-up for an undisclosed sum.

Weighing in at 23 acres, the 177 pitch Kingfisher site is the larger of the two, located on the banks of the River Wear near the village of Frosterley, while Heather View in Stanhope, comes in at 21.3 acres and 282 pitches.

It means the boutique operator now boasts a portfolio of six sites spread across Southern Scotland and North East England, in picturesque areas like Wooler and Pease Bay.

Chief Executive Officer of Verdant Leisure, said: “Kingfisher and Heather View are thriving, first-rate leisure parks offering outstanding customer experience in spectacular locations, and are therefore a perfect fit with our brand and values.

“With our financial strength and excellent trading performance we are actively looking to make further acquisitions before the end of 2016.”

Ed Fazakerley, Partner at Palatine Private Equity who have backed Verdant, believes the new acquisitions further cement the operator’s position in the Northern leisure market.

He said: “Verdant Leisure has become a major player in the Northern regions, and has expanded further through this acquisition.

“We saw significant buy and build potential in the business when we decided to invest, and these acquisitions are just the first in a series as we look to build on Verdant’s portfolio of holiday parks.”