PM urged to finish ‘authorized theft’ from park dwelling house owners
Sir Keir Starmer is being urged to scrap a legislation forcing individuals who stay in cell houses handy over 10% of the earnings after they promote as much as the location proprietor.
The cost has been labelled “authorized theft of fairness” by campaigner Sonia McColl, who represents an estimated 200,000 park houses residents throughout England.
She mentioned many of the residents are retired and are promoting as much as pay for care, whereas the location house owners are “making a revenue on their revenue”.
Dame Sonia handed in a petition at 10 Downing Avenue on Thursday, which 37,000 individuals have now signed up.
The cost is levied by web site house owners on residents promoting their park dwelling, taking 10% of the house’s worth, and may be price as much as £50,000 on prime of annual hire and upkeep charges.
Dame Sonia, who has earned an OBE for her campaigning work, has been combating for a change to the legislation for greater than a decade and complained politicians “maintain kicking it into the lengthy grass” however she was hopeful the brand new cohort of MPs would “make an amazing distinction”.
Requested why the difficulty was so essential to her, she mentioned: “Typically individuals want to maneuver into care houses and the lack of 10% of their fairness curtails the quantity they’ll afford and that falls again on the native council.
“On the finish of the day lots of people need to promote their houses and are both feeling trapped in their very own houses or they’re shedding out.”
A Ministry for Housing Communities and Native Authorities spokesperson mentioned the federal government recognised longstanding considerations about this sector of the housing market.
“We recognise considerations raised by park dwelling residents concerning the fee charge paid on the sale of houses, which is why we’re reviewing this situation and can set out additional particulars in the end,” they added.
MPs on the Park Houses All- Celebration Parliamentary Group (APPG) joined the campaigners at Downing Avenue to listen to their tales.
Joshua Reynolds, Liberal Democrat MP for Maidenhead, mentioned park dwelling residents have been put in an unfair place in comparison with bricks and mortar dwelling house owners.
“I used to have a leasehold flat and once I offered it, all the cash was our cash, as a result of it was our property and I do not suppose there ought to be a distinction,” he mentioned.
“The argument put ahead is the cash is used for upkeep however really that is what your web site costs are for.”
Dr Ben Spencer, Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, mentioned park dwelling residents ought to be handled the identical as leaseholders.
“Why ought to the park web site proprietor profit from work and funding in kitchens and loos in park houses?” he requested.
“They already get pitch funds and annual hire, so taking 10% when houses are offered is essentially unfair as a result of the park proprietor would not do something to have this stake in different individuals’s property.”
Labour housing minister Matthew Pennycook was invited however didn’t attend, though he has beforehand met Dame Sonia at a Park Houses APPG occasion.
The British Holidays and Dwelling Parks Affiliation (BHHPA) mentioned the fee cost helps upkeep and helps to scale back hire.
A spokesman mentioned: “Residential park companies depend on fee as a significant income to assist the maintenance of the park and to make continuous enhancements that are within the pursuits of everybody.
“The fee additionally helps to make sure that the preliminary buy value of park houses and the annual pitch charges stay decrease than they’d in any other case be.”
