Fear over mobile home sale plans

11:03am Saturday 26th July 2008

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RESIDENTS fear they may be left out on the street if the mobile home park they live in is sold by Wycombe District Council (WDC).

The council is considering selling Rayners Avenue Mobile Home Park because it cannot afford to pay the estimated £500,000 needed to restore the site in the next five years.

�What they have done is made a rod for their own back by not reserving more.�

Maurice Smith, chairman of Chepping Wycombe Parish Council

If WDC continues to operate the estate in Rayners Avenue, Loudwater, rent may also have to be increased by 50 per cent, which WDC admits is not "reasonable".

Homeowners have been told that if the land is sold to a private owner, it would not affect their right to remain living there.

The new owner would also have the same obligations as the council.

But, despite being given reassurances, residents are still worried about what may happen in the future.

James Shields, 72, has lived there since he retired 12 years ago.

He said: "People will be worried that the private firm will close it down and put houses here.

"I do not know if we will get kicked out but all sorts of ideas go through your mind.

"They may buy us out but what would you be able to get with the money from these?"

The council has said that drains in the site need replacing, along with asbestos roofs.

The roads on the estate also need work done.

There are more than 60 homes at the park.

Money raised from rent goes into the housing element of the council's general fund, which provides services and facilities for the homeless.

A fund to pay for improvements at the site was set up four years ago but only £15,000 has been raised.

The council receives around £99,000 a year from the park in rent.

Maurice Smith, chairman of Chepping Wycombe Parish Council, believes the council should have started setting money aside years ago.

Mr Smith said: "We are in one of the worst periods financially for housing over the last 20 years and they are doing something which has made the tenants uncertain over what their future is.

"What they have done is made a rod for their own back by not reserving more."

He added that it seemed the council "wants to be shot of" the park.

A document has been sent to all homeowners on the estate from consultancy company Tribal, on behalf of WDC. It aims to answer questions residents may have.

A meeting has been arranged for the residents on August 4. Tribal will complete its consultation with residents on October 3. A report by council officers will then be considered by WDC's cabinet.

COUNCIL officials have responded to a number of the residents' concerns.

Becky Wotherspoon, spokesman for Wycombe District Council, said: "The need to invest in the site was recognised about four years ago. At the time, resources could not be identified to fund the works and a repairs fund was created to build up funding for future investment.

"The cost of this work has increased since this time and the council's ability to set aside sufficient resources into this reserve was limited by other funding pressures. Although the council has generated a surplus on the operation of this site, this has been used to cushion increases in council tax.

"In recent years, the council has lost significant capital resources through capital receipt pooling and is unable to fund the necessary investment in the site.

"It therefore feels that if an appropriate buyer can be found, the site will benefit substantially through the additional investment that it would receive and management expertise that a new organisation could bring.

"This site has been run successfully for over 30 years.

"It is due to the management of this site that we are aware of these problems now and are looking to find a suitable solution instead of in five years time when the tenants will be suffering from the deterioration of these facilities.

"This consultation aims to talk to the tenants in order to find a suitable solution and, in doing so, protect the future of the park for the residents.''