Assembly Member and consumer watchdog want to hear from park homes residents

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black is asking constituents who live in park homes to make the Welsh consumer watchdog aware of any issues they face so as to provide an evidence-base for his private members bill.

Peter can be e-mailed at peter.black@wales.gov.uk or you can write to him at the Welsh Assembly.

Consumer Focus Wales is interviewing individual park homes residents from across Wales about their experiences for their major report, which will be launched in autumn 2012, and want more residents to get in touch to discuss their experiences – both good and bad – of living on a park home site.

Some residents have reported blocking of sales by site operators which causes great financial loss to the park home owner and an easy profit for some rogue site operators. Other residents have spoken to Consumer Focus Wales about their experience of buying a park home, their electricity, gas and water supplies, their written agreement and pitch fees and the quality of life on their park home site.

Consumer Focus Wales is gathering evidence to help to strengthen the protections available for residents in a new bill being drawn up by Mr. Black.

"I am asking residents in my constituency to get in touch with Consumer Focus Wales so we can help combat issues residents face and protect older people from financial abuse,” said Mr. Black. “We want to talk to as many residents as possible, whether they’ve had good experiences or bad. We know that difficulties are caused because park home residents own their home, while a site operator owns the land. Site operators can withhold consent to park home residents reselling their home, although this consent should not be withheld unreasonably. There is evidence that some site owners do this for their own financial gain, which means that home owners can be hit massively in the pocket."

If you know of anyone who would like to take part in this project, please ask them to contact Lowri Jackson, Policy Manager at Consumer Focus Wales, by phoning 029 2078 7108 or emailingParkHomes@ConsumerFocus.org.uk