More than £700,000 is being invested into two holiday parks in Dorset that will also see hundreds of jobs created ahead of the summer.

Parkdean Resorts is set to enhance its accommodation and introduce new facilities at its holiday parks in Warmwell and Sandford Holiday Park near Wareham.

The Echo reported yesterday about investment at Sandford - now more details have been revealed about its site at Warmwell.

At the Warmwell Holiday Park, almost £200,000 is being used to upgrade accommodation at the park as it gets ready for peak season.

This will include the refurbishment of five caravans and the introduction of one new caravan at the site.

READ: More than £5.2m to be invested in three Dorset holiday parks

This investment follows on from more than £5.2m which was pumped into upgrading the three holiday parks in 2022 - including installing park-wide wi-fi capability and a brand new development at Warmwell. 

Sandford Holiday Park will also be recruiting for staff as part of a £500,000 investment at the site.

The money will also be put towards upgraded accommodation and new facilities at the park ahead of the summer season. 

This includes 45 caravans being refurbished and four new caravans added to the park to improve accommodation options for holidaymakers. 

A brand new Thunderbird Fried Chicken restaurant has also been added. 

Currently the holiday park operator employs almost 600 people during peak season in Dorset and welcomed more than 185,000 holidaymakers in 2023 – one of its busiest years on record.

It says that the investment will also enable it to employ an extra 750 people at its sites in Dorset and Devon. Roles include cleaners, bar staff, maintenance assistants, lifeguards, security officers and chefs.

Parkdean Resorts has been asked how many jobs will be available at its Dorset sites.

The holiday park operator has not made any announcement regarding investment at its West Bay site.

READ: Warmwell Holiday Park celebrates another award

Steve Richards, CEO, Parkdean Resorts, said: “We’re always looking to invest in the guest experience at our parks.

"Fifty-nine per cent of our customers rebook with us, and continuing to enhance our parks will help bring people back to Dorset year after year.

"We create rewarding jobs in the community which can turn into life-long careers in hospitality, and our staff engagement score of 83 per cent, which is well above the sector average, shows our teams are happy."

Last year the holiday park operator took home the Gold Award in all three categories it was nominated for at the British Travel Awards (BTAs).

This was for Best Company for UK Family Holidays; Best Company for UK Parks and Lodges Holidays; Best Company for UK Short Breaks.

READ: Three gold awards for Dorset holiday park operator Parkdean

It extended the firm's remarkable winning streak at the BTAs, where it has won at least one award for 13 years running.

The holiday park operator also published its first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report in 2023, which outlines the progress the business is making on its plans to care for its parks, people, and the planet by delivering 25 wide-ranging commitments by 2025.

It has also launched a sustainable energy of the future strategy, starting with self-generation solar power at two parks and new technology to improve energy efficiency such as voltage optimisation.