Something big’s happening at Brean. If you’ve driven past lately, you’ve probably noticed the changes. Planning notices everywhere, construction talk in the local pubs, and plenty of opinions flying around about what it all means.
So what’s actually going on with the Brean holiday park expansion plans? Let’s cut through the noise.
Foundation Partners Bought The Lot
First thing you need to know: the House family sold up in October 2024. After running the park since 1947, they’ve handed it over to Foundation Partners, a private equity firm that’s already spent over £15 million on improvements. They’ve brought in Dermot King from Butlin’s and Mark Seaton from Cove UK to run things. Both know the holiday park business inside out.
Since taking over, they’ve opened The Wonky Donkey pub, added a sports café with VR gaming, and given Brean Play a proper upgrade. The soft play area now has spider web climbing frames, trampolines, and obstacle courses that parents can use for free with their bookings.
But that’s just the warm-up act.
£10.2 Million Waterpark Transformation
Brean Splash Waterpark is getting absolutely hammered with investment. The plans went to Somerset Council in September 2025, asking permission for two outdoor lido pools, a lazy river, and something called Festival Gardens with four leisure pavilions.
Total cost? Over £10 million.
The catch is, they’ll shut the waterpark from December 2025 through March 2026 whilst the work happens. Annoying if you use the pool regularly, but apparently necessary to get it all done. The goal is to make it work year-round instead of just being a summer thing.
When I spoke to a mate who works at Brean Leisure Park, he reckons the waterpark changes are the most ambitious thing they’ve attempted. Makes sense as you can’t compete with Haven and Parkdean Resorts without top facilities.
Golf Course Losing Ground to Caravans
Here’s where it gets controversial. Unity Beach holiday park submitted plans in August 2025 to stick 85 new static caravan bases on part of their golf course. Four hectares of fairways are being turned into caravan pitches.
Golfers aren’t thrilled, obviously. But from a business angle, it’s pretty straightforward maths. Static caravans bring a steady income as people buy them, pay pitch fees, and sometimes rent them out through the park. Golf courses cost a fortune to maintain and don’t generate the same returns.
Unity Beach already has over 1,500 caravan pitches across 87 hectares. Adding 85 more shows they’re betting on static caravans being the future, not golf. Can’t really argue with the logic, even if it’s sad for golfers.
The planning documents say they’ll keep mature trees where possible, though there’s not much vegetation anyway since it’s currently a golf course. Somerset Council is doing an Environmental Impact Assessment screening, which should wrap up soon.
New Entrance Because the Old One’s Rubbish
Anyone who’s tried getting in or out during August knows the entrance situation is a nightmare. Foundation Partners clearly agree, because they’ve submitted plans to completely redo the main entrance off Coast Road.
The October 2025 application asks to remove the existing entrance canopy and surrounding hard-standing, then put in new internal roads, parking, and landscaping. Basically, making it so you’re not stuck in traffic for half an hour every time you arrive or leave.
Public consultation opened in mid-October. From what I’ve heard, chatting to people in Burnham-on-Sea, reactions are split. Some reckon it’s long overdue; others worry about construction disruption.
Who Owns Unity Holiday Park Now Matters
Foundation Partners isn’t messing about. Since buying Brean, they’ve snapped up parks in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, pumping over £30 million across their portfolio in less than a year. They’re building a collection of what they call “market-leading” family destinations.
The House family built this place from farmland over four generations. That’s a lot of history getting handed over to private equity. The new owners keep talking about supporting the local economy and creating jobs, which is true as the park employs hundreds. But their main goal is returns on investment, which means constant changes and expansion.
That’s what Brean holiday park expansion plans really represent. Not just a few improvements here and there, but a complete rethink of what the park should be.
Why Now?
COVID changed everything for UK holiday parks. People got used to staying closer to home, and many haven’t gone back to flying to Spain every summer. Parks with decent facilities are absolutely booming right now.
Static caravans are particularly hot. You can buy one at Unity Beach, use it as a second home, and maybe rent it out when you’re not there. In an economy where actual holiday homes cost stupid money, it’s an attractive option for families.
Foundation Partners sees this demand and wants to grab market share whilst it’s there. Hence, the big spending, the expansion, and the infrastructure upgrades. They’re not buying parks to leave them exactly as they found them.
Local Opinion Is All Over the Place
Walk into any Burnham-on-Sea café and mention the Brean expansion, and you’ll get five different opinions. Some locals are excited about better facilities and job opportunities. Others worry about traffic, strain on services, and losing what made the place special.
Environmental groups have raised questions about using greenfield land, though technically it’s already developed as a golf course. The park’s doing environmental assessments covering drainage, wildlife, flood risk—all the standard stuff councils require.
The thing is, Brean brings tourists who spend money throughout Somerset. The park’s good for the local economy, even if it creates problems too. Most situations like this aren’t black and white.
What’s Coming Next
Multiple planning applications are working through the Somerset Council right now. The waterpark expansion, the 85 caravan pitches, and the entrance revamp all need approval before anything happens.
If everything gets waved through, expect construction noise and disruption through 2026. But by 2027, Unity Beach could look completely different. A larger waterpark, more accommodations, and smoother operations.
Foundation Partners has hinted at future phases without giving specifics. With two industry veterans running things and private equity money behind them, more changes seem guaranteed. They keep buying parks and talking about expansion, so this probably isn’t the end of it.
Bottom Line
Brean won’t be the same place in five years. The biggest transformation this stretch of the Somerset coast has seen in decades is happening right now, whether locals are ready or not.
Foundation Partners wants returns on their investment. That means change—sometimes good, sometimes complicated, usually both. Better facilities and more jobs, sure. But also more traffic, fewer golf courses, and the end of that family-run feeling that the House family maintained for 77 years.
The Brean Splash Waterpark tickets you purchase in 2027 will grant you access to a very different place than what exists today. Whether that’s progress or just different depends on who you ask and what you value.
For visitors, the expansion probably means better holidays. For locals, it means adapting to having an even bigger tourist operation on their doorstep. For golfers, it means fewer fairways.
Welcome to the modern holiday park business. Nothing stays the same when private equity comes calling.