Park home demonstrators demand end to 10% sales fees – as litany of crooked practice reported to MPs
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Friday, November 25, 2022
Friday 25th November 2022
WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN
DO YOUR BIT TODAY
ONLY THREE DAYS BEFORE OUR RALLY
Please keep going.
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
22nd November 2022
Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Bill - First Reading
Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 3:15 pm on 21st November 2022.
PLEASE FOLLOW THESE LINKS.
Sunday, November 20, 2022
20th November 2022
Good News from PHOJC
AFTER TWO POSTPONEMENTS DUE TO THE PASSING OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN. THE RESIGNATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND RAIL STRIKES. COULD ANYTHING ELSE HAPPEN TO CHANGE OUR ARRANGEMENTS. WELL, YES IT COULD .
Whilst we are very grateful to Sir Christopher Chope OBE MP for the success of his Private Members Bill to change RPI to CPI - we did not expect it to pass all stages in less than three minutes. This is wonderful news and all that really lies ahead is Royal Assent. However, the presentation to the Prime Minister, Rally Banners depicting RPI to CPI and all arrangements for the meeting have now had to be changed.
BUT NOT TO BE BEATEN, WE HAVE DONE IT and our rally and meeting goes ahead with the FOCUS ON THE 10% COMMISSION CHARGE THAT THE PARK HOME OWNERS JUSTICE CAMPAIGN HAS CAMPAIGNED FOR SINCE 2014.
It is wonderful that at last residents in England will enjoy a CPI increase to their pitch fees and at our meeting in Westminster we will strongly push for it to be fast tracked to ROYAL ASSENT. The fact that we have come this far is testament to residents and MPs working together. Whilst Sir Christopher has played his part well, you, the park home residents have also played your part by pressurizing government with copious amounts of letters and our President, Sir Peter Bottomley MP has asked questions in Parliament and written to the Secretary of State. I THINK IT IS ONLY FAIR TO SAY THAT WE HAVE ALL ACHIEVED THIS TOGETHER.
On Monday 28th November. PHOJC will rally in London. Present the giant-sized letter below to the Prime Minister and attend and have our say at a meeting in the Palace of Westminster. We will do our utmost to bring about the much needed change in the 10% Commission Charge. A charge that affects every park home resident in the land.
Best wishes Sonia
The National Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign
President: Sir Peter Bottomley MP Father of the House of Commons
Founder & lead: Sonia McColl OBE
Rt. Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister
As you will appreciate, our enclosed giant letter has now been superseded by the outcome of Sir Christopher
Chope OBE MP’s Private Member’s Bill and we respectfully ask that you please ensure that it moves to
Royal Assent with almost the same speed that it cleared the necessary stages.
This again has proved how well things can progress when MPs and Park Home Residents work together. Sir
Christopher has played his part well and we are grateful – but we must not forget the PHOJC Campaign that
brought this matter to the fore. Thousands of Park Home Residents who wrote individually to you and their
constituency MP and the work of our President, Father of the House of Commons Sir Peter Bottomley MP,
who will be chairing the meeting of Park Home Residents in the Palace of Westminster on the 28 th
November 2022.
The emphasis of our Rally and Meeting will now centre on the 10% Commission Charge that is paid to the
site owner on the sale of a home owner’s home. This can only be likened to theft of equity and a windfall to the site owner who does absolutely nothing to earn it.
Of course, we understand that site owners do not want to lose this free source of revenue – but the outcome is that the home owner is trapped, for they can only purchase something of lesser quality after parting with their hard-earned equity. Indeed, if they should have to sell their home to move into care, it seriously reduces the amount and quality of care they can afford.
Since 2014, the Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign have lobbied for an Independent Review of the
10% Charge and are pleased that Government tasked the University of Liverpool to undertake this.
However, we want and need you to understand that again the home owner – through no fault of their own –
were disadvantaged. Yes, a few gave their verbal objections and reasoning through small focus groups that were arranged – but they were unable to compete with the figures or that put forward by business and the
site owners trade body.
Therefore, we ask you to please make your decision in the light of fairness. When the site owner initially sells the home, he makes a substantial profit between the purchase and selling price. Then, every time that home is sold, the site owner makes 10% profit on his own profit margin!! How can that be fair? Those rallying today are pensioners. Many are vulnerable and hail from all parts of our country. They could ill afford the travel costs to London on their fixed incomes – but their journey is fuelled by anger.
Please will you ensure that when your government’s decision is given; notice is taken of the points above and fairness applied.
Yours sincerely
Sonia McColl OBE
On behalf of The National Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign and 31,441petitioners.
Email: phojc1sm@gmail.com Tel: 07903024612
Friday, November 18, 2022
18th November 2022
Success is in sight - at last.
UPDATE BELOW ON THE SECOND READING OF Sir Christopher Chope MP's Private Members Bill
ONLY FIVE WORKING DAY LEFT BEFORE OUR RALLY AND MEETING IN THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER when you can have your say and let your feelings be known to the MPs and Peers in attendance.
I am pleased to tell you that an invitation from our JUSTICE Campaign - to the meeting in the Palace of Westminster - has been delivered from our President, Sir Peter Bottomley's office to all MPs and Peers.
Of course, not all will attend - but these invitations ensure that every MP and Peer in Parliament will be aware of our Rally, Meeting and importantly our call for Government action to expedite emergency legislation to change the increase on park home residents' pitch fees from RPI to CPI and to bring about the long awaited, hopefully fair decision on the 10% commission charge that robs you of your equity..
As the Invitations will have come from the office of the Father of the House of Commons, they will be opened, whereas, if delivered from my own humble email address, this would not be the case. Yet again, our JUSTICE Campaign is fortunate and grateful to receive much valuable help from inside of Westminster.
SECOND READING OF Sir Christopher Chope's private members bill to change RPI to CPI
The Bill passed through all stages (Committee and Report ) in just three minutes. Believed to be the first time this has happened. It was called a worthy cause. We can all be pleased at this result providing it moves quickly to Royal Assent. We can be very thankful to Sir Christopher Chope MP but be aware, in my humble opinion this has happened because of all the letters that you have written, The MPs that you have contacted and pulling together by all members of the park home owners JUSTICE campaign to obtain emergency action on what the government promised.
Below is the letter that I have sent to Sir Christopher and Sir Peter this afternoon.
Dear Sir Christopher
Many congratulations on achieving all stages of your Bill in just three minutes. It is quite remarkable how quickly the government can move when it wants to.
Both I and our Campaign are grateful to you, Sir Peter and - of course - the thousands of park home owners JUSTICE campaign members who have inundated the Prime Minister's office, their constituency MPs and the media with letters demanding emergency legislation to complete the Government's promise. With dreadful rising inflation rates, I hope your Bill can be swiftly expedited to Royal Assent. Certainly, something the residents will continue to push for.
This is of course very good news and I know that residents will be eager to hear you speak at our meeting in Committee Room 10 at 2.15 on the 28th November if your diary allows you to attend.
Best wishes and thank you for helping with our continuing fight for justice
Sonia.
Sir Christopher has been invited to speak at our meeting in the Palace of Westminster - and those attending must continue to push for this to be expedited by emergency legislation - because you need the change now when inflation rates are so high. It also proves that together we are strong and people will listen.
This meeting will also be your opportunity to push for a fair decision on the 10% commission charge and of course the current energy situation is also high on the agenda of many park home residents.
Although Sir Peter's office and I are sending to all forms of media, we still need your help over the next 5 working days. It is your efforts that have brought us to this point. We were on the back shelf of importance and every Resident that has posted to their MP. Collected signatures and sent them to Downing Street - or - stood with banners and had their photographs in the local media have awakened the Government. Without you, I am sure that we would still be waiting for "when parliamentary time allows." However, we must keep pushing and share daily news of our Rally and Meeting on facebook and all forms of social media. Please send the attached letter with details of our presentation to Downing Street, rally and meeting to all forms of media.
Well done to the thousands who have posted the letters to Government. Together we are again achieving what we set out to do.
Best wishes and I look forward to meeting you in London.
The National
Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign
President: Sir Peter
Bottomley MP Father of the House of Commons
Founder: Sonia McColl OBE
Rt. Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister
Firstly, may we congratulate you on your appointment.
Our JUSTICE Campaign appreciates that you have much to do, however, we
write to inform of the rally and meeting in the Palace of Westminster that is
taking place on 28th November 2022.
Its purpose, to obtain emergency legislation to expedite the
long-awaited promise that Government has reneged upon for over four years.
Those rallying today are pensioners.
Many are very vulnerable and hail from all parts of our country. They could ill afford the travel costs to
London on their fixed incomes – but their journey is fuelled by anger.
Their pensions only rise by CPI and yet your government expects them to
pay pitch fee increases which have been calculated by linking to the higher
rate of RPI. This index is rising daily
and without emergency fast track legislation to honour the government’s promise,
many park home owners will suffer a cold miserable fate that could even end in
death – unless they sell up and move to Wales, where park home residents have
long enjoyed a CPI increase to their pitch fees.
Why does your government trail in the wake of the Welsh Administration
who have shown to be far more robust?
The only winners are the site owners and park home residents want to
know why your government panders to the already wealthy by allowing them to
pocket this windfall that will increase every year.
What has happened to our country that should force elderly, vulnerable
and cash strapped pensioners to march on Westminster and demand action?
Sir Peter Bottomley MP Father of the House of Commons, has indicated
that the change from RPI to CPI could be done in the next Finance Bill. Sir Christopher
Chope OBE MP has tried – to no avail - on numerous occasions to get a private
members bill through the second reading.
Emergency legislation - not meaningless words - is urgently needed for
park home owners. You have the power to bring
this to fruition. The cry from our Rally
calls upon you to direct your colleagues to expedite emergency fast track
legislation that is needed to honour the government’s promise – which we
believe could be done in a matter of days.
Yours sincerely
Sonia McColl OBE
On behalf of The National Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign
and 31,441petitioners.
Email: phojc1sm@gmail.com
Tel: 07903024612
Friday, November 11, 2022
11th November 2022
UPDATE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LEVELLING UP. THEIR DRAFT GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SAY THE SITE OWNER WILL NOT GET THE £400 ENERGY PAYMENT.
I know that many Residents are concerned that the Park Owners will receive the £400 energy payment. I have just received this guidance on the energy support package for park home residents from the Department of Levelling Up. They continue to work closely with BEIS on this issue and will share details about when payments will be made as soon as they are able to. Please distribute to you neighbours or share on social media.
Y0U CAN READ THE DRAFT GUIDANCE BELOW.
Energy Support – Park homes DRAFT GUIDANCE
Background
In response to the unprecedented rise in energy prices, the government has introduced
energy price support to shield households and businesses from spiralling prices.
This document is a simple guide and summary of how the support will apply to the park
homes sector only.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What support will apply to the park homes sector?
• The three types of support that will apply to the sector are the;
➢ Energy Bills Support Scheme-Alternative Fund (EBSS-AF);
➢ Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP): and
➢ Energy Bills Relief Scheme (EBRS)
Q. What about the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS)?
• The EBSS only applies to those households with direct domestic electricity contracts
with energy suppliers. Those households will automatically receive the £400 discount
in six instalments between October 2022 and March 2023 to help households through
winter.
• Households without a direct domestic contract will receive equivalent support through
the EBSS Alternative Fund.
1. Energy Bills Support Scheme – Alternative Fund
Q. What is the Energy Bills Support Scheme-Alternative Fund (EBSS-AF)?
• This scheme is intended to provide the £400 of support for households who do not
have a domestic electricity contract such as park home residents.
Q. How will park home residents receive this support?
• The £400 support will not be delivered to park home residents through site owners.
• It will be delivered by a designated body. An announcement on this will be made in
due course.
Q. When will residents receive the support?
• The full support will be provided this winter. An announcement will be made in due
course.
2. Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP)
Q. What is the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP)?
• The Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) will provide a one-off payment of £100 to UK
households who are not on the mains gas grid and therefore use alternative fuels, such
as heating oil, LPG, coal, and biomass to heat their homes.
• This £100 payment will ensure that all households who do not benefit through the
Energy Price Guarantee to heat their homes, receive support for the cost of the fuel they
do use.
The £100 payment has been calculated to ensure that a typical customer using heating oil will
be offered support broadly in line with that offered by the Energy Price Guarantee for those
using mains gas to heat their homes.
• The government will continue to monitor the prices of alternative fuels, such as heating
oil, and will consider further intervention if required to protect UK households from
extraordinary fuel prices.
Q. How will park home residents receive this support?
• Households including park home residents, eligible for these payments will receive £100
as a credit on their electricity bill this winter.
• Households who are eligible for but who do not receive the Alternative Fund Payment
because they do not have a relationship with an electricity supplier, will receive the £100
through an Alternative Fund which will be provided by a designated body. Details of the
AFP Alternative Fund will be confirmed shortly.
Q. When will residents receive the support?
• Park home residents who are eligible will receive the payment this winter. More detail
will be set out shortly.
3. Energy Bills Relief Scheme
Q. What is the Energy Bills Relief Scheme?
• This scheme will provide a discount on energy bills for eligible non-domestic customers
such as businesses, schools and charities. Where those businesses and organisations
act as intermediaries and purchase electricity or gas on behalf of an end user, they will
be required to pass on the discount to the end user.
• Park home site owners act as intermediaries and will be required to pass on any
discounts received to their park home residents (end users).
• Discounts will be applied to energy usage initially between 1 October 2022 and 31
March 2023.
Q. How will park home residents receive this support?
• Energy suppliers will apply reductions to an eligible site owner’s bills between 1 October
2022 and 31 March 2023.
• The site owner will be required to pass on either all or some of any discount that they
receive to their residents in a reasonable and proportionate way.
Q. How will you ensure the reductions are passed on to park home residents?
• The legislation requires site owners to pass on any benefit to park home residents
where they act as intermediaries and procure energy on their behalf.
• If site owners do not act in accordance with the legislation, residents may be able to
recover this discount through the civil courts.
Q. Are there any exemptions for park home operators from the requirement to pass
on any discount?
• There are no exemptions, and as an intermediary, a park operator will be required to
pass on any discount in line with the regulations and guidance published on gov.uk.
There may be situations where the park home operator is already shielding the end user
from the cost of energy [see below] or not actually receiving a discount themselves,
such as if they are on an energy contract agreed before 1 December 2021 or have a low
cost contract, in which case they have nothing to pass on.
Q. How long will the scheme last for?
• The scheme will last until the 31 March 2023. The Government will publish a review into
the operation of the scheme in 3 months’ time, to inform decisions on future support
after March 2023.
Q. What are the Pass-through Requirements on site owners?
• Site owners who are intermediaries must pass on a just and reasonable proportion of
the discount to residents. They can adjust the amount they pass on based on their
charges to residents and must demonstrate to residents that this amount is just and
reasonable.
• Site owners must pass on the discount irrespective of how the resident pays for their
energy use. This includes if the site owner charges an “all inclusive” pitch fee.
• Site owners can take into account the extent to which they have increased their charges
to end users as a result of the energy crisis. For example, if the site owner has shielded
residents from the impact of increased energy prices it may be just and reasonable for
the site owner to retain some or all of the scheme benefit.
Q. Where site owners use electricity themselves to keep lights on, maintenance of
the commons areas etc, will they benefit from any discount even though they hold
a non-domestic account and are an intermediary?
• Yes, site owners will benefit from a reduction in the cost of energy through the Energy
Bills Relief Scheme. If the cost of this electricity is not passed on to the end user, and it
is deemed just and reasonable, the site owner can retain this discount for themselves.
Q. Will Ofgem’s maximum resale Price still apply?
• Yes. Site owners must also comply with the maximum resale price (MRP) set by Ofgem.
The MRP is the most anyone can charge for reselling gas or electricity which has
already been bought from an authorised supplier.
• The current maximum resale price is set at the same price as paid by the person
reselling (site owner), including any discounts such as the EBRS.
Q. How is the pass-through requirement calculated?
• An illustrative example of how the pass-through requirements apply in hypothetical
scenarios in relation to park home sites is below. Each individual case should be
considered in line with the Pass-through Regulations. The figures provided below for the
discount the site owner receives are provided as an example. The discount the site
owner receives in real life will depend on the site owner’s contract.
Illustrative application of ‘just and reasonable’ test
Example 1
.
Scenario
A park home resident buys their electricity from a site owner, who has a commercial
electricity supply contract. The site owner has five residents on their site who all pay
equal costs for the same amount of energy.
The site owner passes 100% of the full amount of its energy cost onto its park home
residents.
The site owner receives a £100 discount in November for its electricity bill from the
electricity supplier.
Result
It is just and reasonable for 100% of the benefit that has been provided to the site owner
to be passed on to the residents who will each receive a portion of the benefit.
Each resident will receive a £20 discount (£100 divided between five residents) as soon
as is reasonably practicable and in respect of their November electricity bill.
Example 2
Scenario
A park home resident buys their electricity from a site owner, who has a commercial
electricity supply contract. The site owner has five residents on their site who all pay
equal costs for the same amount of energy.
The site owner passes 50% of the full amount of its energy cost onto its park home
residents.
The site owner receives a £100 discount in November for its electricity bill from the
electricity supplier.
Result
It is just and reasonable for 50% of the benefit that has been provided to the site owner to
be passed on to residents who will each receive a portion of the benefit.
Each resident will receive a £10 discount (50% of £100 divided between five residents) as
soon as is reasonably practicable and in respect of their November electricity bill.
Q. When must the benefit be passed through to residents?
• The benefit must be passed on by the site owner as soon as reasonably practicable. If
the benefits have not been passed on when the scheme ends, the expectation is that
they will still be passed on in accordance with the pass-through requirements.
Q. How will the benefit be provided to residents?
• The pass-through benefit must be provided to residents through the following methods:
➢ application of a credit in the next invoice, statement of account or similar document
provided by the relevant intermediary to the end user
➢ a payment in cash or by any other means, including a bank transfer
➢ tariff adjustment on tariff equipment
➢ adjusting the amount of money taken from a direct debit or a standing order
➢ set off against an amount or part of an amount which was owed by the resident to the
site owner at the time at which the scheme benefit was provided to the site owner
➢ or a combination of the methods set out above
Q. What information must the site owner share with residents regarding the benefit?
• It is the responsibility of the site owner to take reasonable steps to notify residents in
writing that they have been provided support and how much they are intending to pass
on. If the site owner will not be passing any benefit they have received to residents, they
must still notify the residents.
Q. What do you mean by reasonable steps?
• These reasonable steps could include a letter, email, by text or instant message,
in a newsletter or other type of message sent directly to the resident. This must be done
using existing methods of communication with end users and in so far as possible,
via the method of communication used customarily with end users.
• A general notice on a website would not normally be sufficient unless that is the primary
method that the site owner and residents communicate.
Q. When must the information be shared?
• This information must be shared within 30 days of the site owner receiving the benefit or
within 30 days of the regulations coming into force for the scheme benefits provided to
relevant intermediaries before the Pass-through Regulations came into force.
Q. What must the information set out?
• The information must set out:
➢ how much benefit has been provided to the site owner
➢ how much will be passed through to the resident
➢ if applicable, when and how this will be passed on
➢ if applicable, any steps the site owner is taking to correct an error in previously
passed-through scheme benefit
➢ how residents can appeal to the site owner
➢ that if residents do not receive the scheme benefit they are entitled to recover it as a
civil debt
Q. What can residents do if the pass-through requirements are not met?
• Residents should not need to take action to receive this benefit as the obligation is on
the site owner to pass through the benefit and provide the information necessary to do
so.
• If a resident believes that they should have been provided a benefit, did not receive
enough benefit, or reasonable steps weren’t taken to inform them of their eligibility to
benefit, the resident would be advised to raise this with the site owner in the first
instance.
Q. How should a resident contact the site owner?
• A template letter has been provided to assist residents in their communications with
site owners. The template letter is only illustrative, and site owners should refer to their
obligations as set out in the Regulations.
• The site owner is under an obligation to demonstrate that the pass-though is just and
reasonable and therefore must provide justification for their calculation of the amount
passed on.
Q. What can a resident do if a site owner fails to meet any of their obligations?
• If a site owner fails to appropriately pass on the payment or fails to provide necessary
information to the resident, the resident may bring civil proceedings and may seek to
recover sums due as a civil debt. There are no fines for site owners in such cases.
• Should a court rule in the resident’s favour, they will be entitled to the payment, plus
interest which is set at 2 per cent above the Bank of England’s base rate and will begin
to accrue from 60 days after the intermediary first receives the relevant scheme benefit.
To find support on civil debt proceedings or further guidance visit: Make a court claim for
money.
Useful links
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pass-through-requirements-for-energy-pricesupport-provided-to-intermediaries/guidance-on-the-pass-through-requirements-for-energyprice-support-in-great-britain-provided-to-intermediaries
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-prices-bill-how-households-andbusinesses-will-be-supported/how-households-and-businesses-will-be-supported-by-theenergy-prices-bill
https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/help-with-your-bills/
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3341/publications.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
6th November 2022
WITHHOLDING THE RPI INCREASE TO THE PITCH FEE BECAUSE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT YET CHANGED IT TO CPI.
I am hearing that many residents are considering withholding the RPI increase and paying the last agreed pitch fee until the promised change to CPI is brought in. Whilst I entirely understand your feelings about this totally unfair situation. If you are doing this simply because you are waiting for the change to CPI. THEN - whilst obviously your choice - IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THIS IDEA.
If you have a genuine reason for withholding, such as, you have informed the site owner previously that if something is not done, you will withhold the RPI increase, that is a different situation.
I also hear that many feel that it would make an impact and clog up the tribunal service if site owners are forced to take individuals (en masse) to the tribunal.
I HAVE INFORMED THOSE IN AUTHORITY THAT MANY ARE CONSIDERING WITHHOLDING SIMPLY BECAUSE THE CHANGE TO CPI HAS NOT OCCURRED - AND THE ANSWER IS: THIS WILL NOT HELP YOU AND YOU COULD BE TAKEN TO A TRIBUNAL AND THE SITE OWNER WOULD WIN.
The £400 energy payment.
I have received so many emails from residents who were confused about the £400 energy payment and concerned that it would be paid to the site owners. Therefore, I wrote yesterday to the Government Department with questions that I know you wanted answers too. Below is a copy of my email and the response that I received from the Government Department. I hope it will help to make things clearer.
Dear William
I hope this finds you well.
I am receiving many emails from confused park home residents regarding the £400 energy payment. Following the latest energy publication, people just want a clear answer. Could you please send me answers that apply only to the park home sector and come from the government department as a source they can trust .
Best Wishes
Sonia
Reply From the Government department.
Please see my responses below to your questions about the £400 payment.
There are other support packages the Government has put in place where park home residents will receive further help with their bills. I will summarise these and send out to the resident associations and groups hopefully by the end of tomorrow.
Regards
William
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Questions
I hope this finds you well.
I am receiving many emails from confused park home residents regarding the £400 energy payment. Following the latest energy publication, people just want a clear answer. Could you please send me answers that apply only to the park home sector and come from the government department as a source they can trust .
Best Wishes
Sonia
Reply From the Government department.
Please see my responses below to your questions about the £400 payment.
There are other support packages the Government has put in place where park home residents will receive further help with their bills. I will summarise these and send out to the resident associations and groups hopefully by the end of tomorrow.
Regards
William
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Questions
1. Is the £400 paid to the site owner who has the account?
Answer
No, the £400 will not be paid to the site owner. It will be paid directly to residents through an approved body such as a local authority. The details are being finalised and an announcement will be made soon.
2. Is it one £400 payment to be split between all residents?
Answer
No. Each household will receive £400. For example if there are 10 park homes on the site, each will be a household and each will receive £400.
3. If it is paid to the site owner, how is that apportioned to each resident's bill?
Answer
The £400 will not be paid to the site owner.
4. Some resident's seem to be under the impression that it is paid via council tax if the resident pays the site owner for electricity.
Answer
The £400 will be paid to every household, including those living in park homes. The payment is not dependent on whether the household pays council tax, pays the site owner for electricity or any other
Regards
William
William Tandoh
Park Homes and Non Traditional Tenures
RPI to CPI increase on the pitch fee. The 10% Commission Charge.
Please see the parliamentary questions that have been tabled by our President and Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley MP. Sir Peter continues to call for answers and we are very grateful for his interventions and support - because things only happen when you have someone working for you inside of Westminster.
Park Homes issues 31 October 2022 PB written parliamentary questions
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the total commissions received by site owners from home sales by park home residents in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the annual costs to park home residents of pitch fees since 2010; what estimate he has made of those levels if increases were linked to CPI instead of RPI; and if he will make a statement.
When the answers are received, I will make them public. Meanwhile, following the independent report provided by the University of Liverpool,we continue to await the decision from the government with regard to any reduction to the 10% Commission Charge
RPI TO CPI INCREASE TO THE PITCH FEE REVIEW AND OUR FORTHCOMING RALLY ON THE 28TH NOVEMBER.
You will be aware that for many months, Sir Christopher Chope OBE MP has attempted to get a second reading of his Private Members Bill regarding the change from RPI to CPI on the pitch fee increase. At every attempt, the Bill does not get read and is pushed forward to another date. I was aware that the next date for the possible reading of the Bill would be the 18th November. As our Rally (which has had to be postponed twice due to the passing of Her Majesty the Queen and the resignation of the Prime Minister) will now take place on the 28th November, it would have seemed pointless in going ahead if Sir Christopher's Bill was to succeed in its second reading on the 18th November.
There was an APPG (all party parliamentary group) meeting scheduled for the 31st October, of which Sir Christopher is the Chairman. At the meeting, I had intended to ask him if he could guarantee that his Bill would be read on the 18th November (as I had heard it now had government support.)
My next question was to be; if the Bill was read, how long did Sir Christopher think that it would take before it cleared all the relevant stages before becoming a law.
Unfortunately, I was unexpectedly admitted to hospital and could not attend the meeting. However, I contacted our President, Sir Peter Bottomley MP and asked if he would be kind enough to ask those questions for me. Sir Peter did ask and his replies are laid out below.
With regard to the likelihood of Sir Christopher's Bill being read on the 18th November. Sir Peter informed me that it was fourth on the list. This would indicate that there is no guarantee that it will be read.
At the APPG meeting, Sir Peter asked Sir Christopher how far he thought his Bill would progress. The answer that I received from Sir Peter is laid out below.
Chris Chope MP hopes his Bill will make it to Committee.
I cannot judge how far it might get.
Peter
From the outcome of those answers, it was clear that our Rally, Presentation to Downing Street and Meeting in the Palace of Westminster would definitely go ahead as it could only be beneficial in achieving an outcome to the promise that the government made over four years ago and have reneged upon.
Residents have realised the urgency of the Rally and it is well subscribed. Paul Baker of Paul Baker Insurance has helped by sponsoring coaches, mini buses and train fares - and I am pleased to say that he will attend the rally.
To that end. Sir Peter's Office has booked Committee Room 10 in the Palace of Westminster and Residents will be able to have their say before the MPs present. Sir Peter will chair the meeting and an invitation will be sent to Sir Christopher Chope MP and many other MP's and members of the APPG.
There will be a Rally outside of Downing Street and a presentation letter will be delivered to Downing Street for the attention of the Prime Minister. I will also be including petitions from various park home sites who have collected signatures.
The copy of the letter that is officially being delivered is laid out below. Although very grateful for Sir Christopher's Bill, due to the continuing delay, park home residents can wait no longer for that which was promised. Therefore, our letter lays out the emergency legislation that we are calling for. I am hoping that all members will copy this letter. Send it to their own constituency MPand request their presence at the meeting and send a copy to the Prime Minister's office at 10 Downing Street. I would also be grateful if residents would help all those who are attending the rally, by sending this letter to their local media and regional TV stations. Please inform them that the PHOJC Rally will take place on 28th November and full details can be obtained by emailing Sonia at: sonia.mccoll.phojc@gmail.com - or by telephone to 07903024612
Full timings of the Rally, Presentation and Meeting in the Palace of Westminster will be sent as soon as I have received them.
¬¬¬The National
Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign
President: The Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley MP
Founder: Sonia McColl OBE
Rt. Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister
Firstly, may we congratulate you on your appointment.
Our JUSTICE Campaign appreciates that you have much to do, however, we write to inform of the rally and meeting in the Palace of Westminster that is taking place on 28th November 2022. Its purpose, to obtain emergency legislation to expedite the long-awaited promise that Government has reneged upon for over four years.
Those rallying today are pensioners. Many are very vulnerable and hail from all parts of our country. They could ill afford the travel costs to London on their fixed incomes – but their journey is fuelled by anger.
Their pensions only rise by CPI and yet your government expects them to pay pitch fee increases which have been calculated by linking to the higher rate of RPI. This index is rising daily and without emergency fast track legislation to honour the government’s promise, many park home owners will suffer a cold miserable fate that could even end in death – unless they sell up and move to Wales, where park home residents have long enjoyed a CPI increase to their pitch fees.
Why does your government trail in the wake of the Welsh Administration who have shown to be far more robust?
The only winners are the site owners and park home residents want to know why your government panders to the already wealthy by allowing them to pocket this windfall that will increase every year.
What has happened to our country that should force elderly, vulnerable and cash strapped pensioners to march on Westminster and demand action?
The Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley MP has indicated that the change from RPI to CPI could be done in the next Finance Bill. Sir Christopher Chope OBE MP has tried – to no avail - on numerous occasions to get a private members bill through the second reading.
Emergency legislation - not meaningless words - is urgently needed for park home owners. You have the power to bring this to fruition. The cry from our Rally calls upon you to direct your colleagues to expedite emergency fast track legislation that is needed to honour the government’s promise – which we believe could be done in a matter of days.¬¬¬¬
Yours sincerely
Sonia McColl OBE
On behalf of The National Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign and 31,441petitioners.
Email: phojc1sm@gmail.com
Tel: 07903024612
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