A Scottish caravan park operator has started to feel the benefit of changes in pension law that allow people to dip into their retirement savings, which it expects will provide a big boost to demand.
East Lothian-based Verdant Leisure said the changes introduced on Monday, which allow people over 55 to tap into their pension pots to boost their spending power, will be good news for the caravan park sector.
"We have already had two buyers intending to fund their purchase using part of their pension pot," said chief executive Graham Hodgson.
Noting that many of the people who buy caravans are retirees, Mr Hodgson said potential customers appear to be planning to use the new pension freedoms to bring forward purchases.
He added: "We are already seeing enquiries from buyers taking advantage of the fact they can now access their own savings to provide a cheap source of funding for caravan and lodge purchases, where previously they would perhaps have had to borrow."
The comments come after Standard Life reported some customers had decided to take money out of their pension savings to cover expenses ranging from buying a speedboat to paying for weddings.
The pensions giant said it had received an unprecedented level of inquiries from people about the changes, which apply to funds held in defined contribution pension schemes.
Verdant, which runs three parks in Scotland and one in England, said it expects to record good growth in 2015 helped by the pension changes and the strength of the economy.
Mr Hodgson said: "We are experiencing significantly stronger trading since the start of our financial year and are already 35 per cent ahead where we were over the same period last year (March to April)."
Backed by the RJD Partners private equity business, the company is planning to buy more parks to capitalise on the expected strong demand.
Verdant acquired the Thurston Manor and Pease Bay sites in East Lothian from the Dunham family in 2010, in a multi-million pound deal. It bought the Viewfield Manor park near Kilwinning, Ayrshire in 2011 and the Riverside Leisure Park in Northumberland in 2012.
It made £1.9m pre tax profit on £8.6m turnover in the year to 28 February 2014.
Mr Hodgson previously sold South Lakeland Caravan Parks for £125m in 2007, 18 months after leading a £95m management buyout of the business.
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