Caravan owners given eight days to leave site

Caravan owners at a holiday park in Whatstandwell have been given just eight days to leave by its new owners.

Haytop Country Park was bought by Countrywide Park Homes in October last year after being in independent ownership for decades.

However, without warning, its new owners have told residents they must leave - despite many of them having been there for years.

Sara Gaynor, who has been there over a year herself, said: “We’ve been told we have to remove our vans and all our belongings in eight days.”

“I don’t drive and I haven’t got anywhere else to put my touring caravan.”

“And the people who have statics have got no way of getting them off site in eight days.”

The time the residents were originally given has now expired but many are digging in their heels, leading to a stand off.

They have had meetings to discuss what is going on and have set up a Facebook group to publicise their cause.

They now want the company to guarantee that all pitch fees already paid are reimbursed before their vans are removed.

“Some of the other residents had just renewed their licences,” says Sara.

“And the firm have already cashed the cheques.”

Sara and a number of the other owners have already been to trading standards and Sara has also been in contact with her MP, Beeston’s Anna Soubry.

“The explanation we have ben given is that the site is unsafe and its licence cannot be renewed due to sewerage and general disrepair,” says Sara.

“But we think they just want us off as quickly as possible so they can fill it with luxury £200,000 lodges.”

A Derbyshire County Council spokesman said: “It is routine for Citizen’s Advice to notify trading standards of all complaints made against businesses and traders in the county.

“If there are suspected breaches of criminal legislation, then trading standards may investigate.

“Having reviewed this matter, Derbyshire Trading Standards is satisfied that this is not the case in this instance.

“It is a contractual issue to be resolved between the parties involved. However, we will keep the notification on file.”

Amber Valley Borough Council said that as the units on the site were not permanent residential homes, the Council’s options were ‘limited’.

Countrywide Park Homes were unavailable for comment.