The National Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign
President. Father of the House - Sir Peter Bottomley MP
FINAL PHOJC RALLY and MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
24TH October 2022
11.30 am Allowing for slight differences in your transport arrangements, please meet at the black iron railings opposite Downing Street at 11.30 am to 12 noon at the latest. I will be there to meet you at 11.30. During that time we will show our banners to the world and do possible interviews. It is in ITV’s diary to be there to interview residents from certain counties and those residents have already been contacted and their permission received. Providing, there is no catastrophe that takes precedence for ITV coverage - that will happen.
At the time of writing, I do not have attendance confirmation from other media outlets that have been contacted – but that could easily change in the coming days. Certainly, Sir Peter’s office is also working on media publicity for the rally, so be prepared.
Sebastian O’Kelly, from the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership is the official photographer and he will be taking photos throughout the day. I am hoping that we can get a good group photo on those impressive steps in Westminster Hall.
BBC Surrey will be doing a live interview with Alan Baldwin on the morning of our rally.
12.15pm The rally moves off to the Cromwell Road Security Entrance of the Palace of Westminster. It is only a 13 minute walk, but I am allowing a good 30 minutes for you to get there. The two Marshals (John and Vee) are in charge of the rally at this time and will be wearing yellow high viz jackets. You cannot take banners into the Palace, but the Marshals will tell you where to leave them. Please remember to collect them when you leave the Palace. You should arrive at the security entrance between 12.45 and 1pm. It could takes 30 minutes for you all to clear the airport like security.
Please remember that you can take no sharp objects through security. Once inside Westminster Hall, PLEASE WAIT TOGETHER IN THIS AREA. There are toilet facilities and a café to the right as you enter Westminster Hall.
Simultaneously, at 12.15, the party that will be part of the presentation to Downing Street, will cross the road and wait at the Police manned gates to Downing Street. Full details for those people are printed at the bottom of these directions.
2pm I will be in Westminster Hall along with Steve Brine MP for Winchester who has very kindly agreed to help and make sure that our campaign gets safely to committee room 10. There are steps to climb on the journey to committee corridor, so if you have genuine walking problems please speak to one of the attendants as there are lifts for disabled people. You will need to tell them that you are going to committee room 10. The rest of our party will walk. There is a protocol in certain parts of the Palace that no jeans are allowed. May I suggest that for our visit, smart casual is ok.
2.15 The meeting begins at 2.15pm. Our President, Sir Peter Bottomley MP will chair the meeting. I have asked Sir Christopher Chope MP to give a brief update on his private members bill and I have asked him – as chairman of the APPG for park homes – to invite other APPG members (if their diaries allow) so they may hear first-hand the feelings of the residents. I will also email them with regard to this invitation. Sir Christopher has answered my email this morning and hopes to pop in and share information about his bill. There will be no long speeches because this meeting has been called for you to air your feelings, ask questions and give your views on the 4 year wait that we have had to endure regarding the change from RPI to CPI and the 10% commission charge. THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
Our letter that will be presented to the Prime Minister is in no way intended to undermine Sir Christopher’s bill. However, we are all aware that the bill has to undergo various stages and with the crippling RPI rate now reaching 12.6%, time is not on your side and park home residents will struggle to pay the increased pitch fees. This problem is not of Sir Christopher’s making and we appreciate and are thankful for his bill – but government are four years too late and have let us down badly. Therefore, our letter asks the Prime Minister to expedite emergency legislation to put this right.
Several residents have collected signatures. These will not be a formal part of our meeting, but it is important that this work is not ignored. They are therefore welcome to ask their own MP to be present and present them to their MP at the end of the meeting – asking that he/she delivers them to the Prime Minister.
3pm The meeting is due to end, although I am sure there will be some leeway.
It should take approximately 30 minutes for you to leave the Palace and there is a café and toilets near the exit in Westminster Hall. Please don’t forget to collect your banners and take them home.
For those people that are authorised to enter Downing Street for the Presentation.
Please arrive with everyone else between 11.30 and 12 noon at the black iron railings opposite Downing Street. When the rally moves to Westminster at 12.15, the presentation party will cross the road to the Police guarded entrance to Downing Street. Here you will pass through security. NO BANNERS CAN BE TAKEN INTO DOWNING STREET AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING IDENTIFICATION (SUCH AS YOUR PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENCE.) YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER DOWNING STREET WITHOUT IT. The presentation will be at 12.30. There will no doubt be time for photographs before we have to leave and make our way to join the rally in Westminster Hall. If there are time constraints – it might be advisable to share a taxi to the Cromwell Green entrance where we will again pass-through security.
WEATHER
The present forecast in London on the 24th, is 17 degrees, light rain showers and a gentle breeze. This should not affect our rally but perhaps bring a light mack. I will keep an eye on the forecast and if this should change to heavy rain I will be in touch again to make arrangements for you to go direct to Westminster Hall as you could not be expected to sit around in wet clothes “but that is not going to happen and it will be fine”
Ends.
Thank you all for travelling to London, making banners, and putting your heads above the parapet for the sake of all park home residents. Like me, I am sure that you will thank Sir Peter and his office for arranging the meeting in the Palace of Westminster. We are very lucky to have this opportunity and I am not aware that it has been afforded to any other park home group. Without this opportunity, we could only shout outside – and I doubt that anyone of importance would hear. Thanks must also go to Sebastian O’Kelly for his advertising of our rally and acting as photographer – and Paul Baker of Paul Baker Insurance for his help in sponsoring the cost of coaches and train fares. I hope you enjoy your day. Make new friends and importantly HAVE YOUR SAY ON WHAT MATTERS TO YOU AND BRING ABOUT THE LONG-AWAITED CHANGE.
Best wishes. See you in London and have a safe journey.
Sonia
