Holiday park near St Asaph invests in clean energy

Spring Gardens Holiday Park, a family-run site near St Asaph in North Wales, recently installed more than 100 solar panels on its clubhouse roof with support from the North Wales Clean Energy Fund, part of the North Wales Growth Deal delivered by Ambition North Wales.

Tom Williams, managing director of Spring Gardens, said: "Energy costs have become a real concern for businesses like ours.

"We wanted to find a way to take back some control and make the park more sustainable for the long term."

The park, owned and managed by Gwyn and Haf Williams and their grandson Tom, has grown into a 72-pitch community focused on connection and shared experience.

Rising energy costs prompted the team to explore sustainable options, leading them to engage with UMi, which delivers a commercial finance service on behalf of Ambition North Wales to help businesses invest in clean energy.

Mr Williams said: "The team were approachable, proactive, and took the time to understand what we were trying to achieve.

"Yes, we wanted funding, but we chose UMi and the Clean Energy Fund because of the support they gave us throughout the process."

The new solar panels are expected to reduce the park’s annual carbon emissions by 10,607kg CO2, while also improving energy security and reducing long-term operating costs.

Williams said that the practical support from UMi was key to moving the project forward.

He said: "Having that support made a huge difference.

"It helped us move forward with something that might otherwise have felt quite complex."

The solar installation is already delivering savings, which the business is using in part to repay the loan for the panels.

Mr Williams hopes their experience will inspire other businesses to take similar steps.

He said: "If it works for us, it can work for others too.

"Sometimes it’s just about knowing what’s available and having the confidence to take that first step."

Spring Gardens Holiday Park is now leading by example, showing how even smaller businesses can make meaningful progress towards sustainability.