A Somerset mum was left “disappointed” after a gas leak at a holiday park scuppered her family’s holiday plans. The incident occurred at Finlake Resort and Spa in Chudleigh, close to Newton Abbot, when contractors accidentally struck a main gas line while working on the car park shortly before midday on Tuesday, February 4.
Although Calor Gas swiftly addressed the leak, ongoing tests at the site mean that lodges in one section of the resort remain off-limits for guests, though the rest of the facility has returned to normal operations. Guests scheduled to arrive in the affected area on February 14 and 17 were informed this week of the unfortunate cancellation of their bookings at Finlake.
Options for refunds or alternative accommodations at nearby holiday parks have been presented to those affected. Somerset resident Laura Linham, an impacted holidaymaker, recounted her experience after receiving a call from Hoseasons on February 11, which led to the cancellation of her family’s holiday, much to the disappointment of her six year old daughter. She said: “We had booked our stay for half-term and were due to leave on Friday. Unfortunately, we received a call around lunchtime on Tuesday informing us of the cancellation. It was incredibly disappointing and not the news we were hoping for.
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“That said, after reading some of the comments on TripAdvisor about people having to leave mid-holiday or just hours after arriving, we feel relatively fortunate. We were offered a full refund and £150 in compensation, which we accepted.
Amidst these disruptions, there is hope for a swift resolution following the gas leak. Gemma Foster, General Manager at Haulfryn’s Finlake Resort and Spa, commented: “We are very pleased to confirm our extensive holiday resort is almost fully restored to full capacity following the unfortunate incident with a gas pipe last week. However, one accommodation area of the park – our A-Frame lodge area - is still undergoing necessary testing before we can fully reopen this area to our guests.
“Our Finlake team and the Calor Gas contractors are working tirelessly to fully reopen these lodges and we hope that this will happen very soon. However, we are proactively working with our booking partners Hoseasons to provide options for several families due to arrive at our A-Frame properties on either February 14 or February 17, in case the work is not completed by then,” a statement read.
A spokesperson for Hoseasons added: “We are working swiftly to relocate or refund affected Hoseasons customers and supporting the Finlake Resort and Spa park team as they collaborate with Calor Gas to minimise the impact caused by this unfortunate gas pipe incident.”
Following the gas leak on February 4, holidaymakers were presented with three choices: to stay onsite without heating or hot water, to depart with a full refund, or to be moved to one of the company’s other parks. At the time, over 99 guests were residing at the site.