Tempers flare at mobile home park meeting

10:36pm Monday 4th August 2008

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TEMPERS ran high at a meeting to discuss the future of a mobile home park tonight, which could be sold to pay for much-needed repairs.

Residents of Rayners Avenue Mobile Home park in Loudwater were angry to discover the ground rent paid to Wycombe District Council (WDC) over its 40 year history, had not been re-invested in the maintenance of the site, but rather went into a general fund.

WDC says the park's roads, drains and the asbestos roofs on some of the outbuildings need replacing at a cost of £500,000 and it does not have the money to do it.

A sink fund towards repairs at the site was set up four years ago but only stands at £15,000.

Steve Guy, parliamentary spokesman for Wycombe Lib Dems, asked council officers chairing the meeting: "How can you justify not being able to fund the money when you have taken the income on the site for 40 years?"

Clive Brash, assistant asset manager at WDC, admitted the park made a surplus of £80,000 through rent, but someone in the council had made a "historical" decision this money would go into a general fund.

"We're accepting that there have probably been mistakes in the past," he added, "We're trying to find a solution for where we are today."

Chris Watson, cabinet member for homes and housing, told residents WDC would end up footing the bill for the repairs if it sold the park.

He said: "If we sell the site - and we can only sell it to a professional site owner - the price which we will get will be considerably less than the market value because we shall have to give a reduction that will reflect what needs to be spent on your roads.

"If we sell the site we will in fact have paid for all the repairs."

His comments were met with laughter, however.

Residents at the site, who own their homes but pay rent for the land they sit on, are worried fees could shoot up if a private owner is brought in.

Home owners at tonight's meeting suggested the repairs be carried out piecemeal, rather than in one hit as suggested by WDC, and urged officers to find the £500,000 needed from within council coffers.

Rosemary Barney, who has lived at the site for four years, said: "Let's face facts, if you dug deep enough you can find that money."

Other suggestions as an alternative to the sale of the site included putting up council tax rates or letting the residents run the park themselves with help from WDC.

Tonight's meeting was held as part of a 12 week consultation with residents.

They have until Friday, October 3 to put their comments to the council, via independent consultants Tribal, who were hired by WDC for £7,500 to investigate the possibility of selling the land.

Mr Brash said all residents comments put forward at the meeting would be put to the council's cabinet in December, which will then make a recommendation about the proposal to sell the site.

A final decision will be then be taken by a meeting of the full council.