Holiday homes legislation causes 'headache' for Leicester Travellers' sites plans - Leicestershire

From the Leicester Mercury

A law designed to protect the rights of caravan park holiday home owners has forced the city council to rethink plans for Travellers' sites in Leicester.

The council has granted permission for 16 pitches over two sites it owns at Redhill Way and Greengate Lane, on the northern edge of Leicester. It had intended for them to be built and managed by the Framework housing association.

Now officials have discovered that by allowing another organisation to run them, it would lose control over who would be able to rent a pitch.

Under the Mobile Homes Act, after the first tenant puts up a temporary home on a pitch, they can sell or give it to whomever they choose, meaning the council would have no say over who lives there.

The council has decided to build and run the pitches itself. Framework, which successfully applied for planning permission, will be an advisor only.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby admitted the legislation presented the council with "a headache".

He said: "The law is there to protect the rights of mobile home owners on caravan parks, but it also covers us in this situation.

"I have written twice to Community Secretary Eric Pickles, asking him to amend the legislation and had a lengthy reply which basically says no.

"So we will have manage them ourselves.."

The cost of developing the 16 pitches is £1.83 million.

A report by planning officers says the Government's Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will provide a £1.39 million grant "leaving a shortfall of £390,000 to be funded by the council".

Sir Peter says the decision not to let Framework run the sites had not affected the cost of the scheme. He e said it was always the intention that the council should contribute the £390,000 he has just approved.

It is expected the site will cost £60,000 a year to run, which Sir Peter says will be covered by rents paid by tenants.

The council, which already runs a Travellers' site at Meynells Gorse, expects an income of £65,000 with the surplus covering rent arrears and un-let pitches.

Both sites are expected to be ready for occupation by the end of March 2015.

Lindsey Richards, head of Midlands South for the HCA, said: "This funding will help the city council to satisfy its legal duty to try to meet the accommodation needs of gypsies and Travellers.

"We are looking forward to the completion of both sites next year."

The HCA is also funding the council's revamp of its gypsy and Traveller site at Meynells Gorse.

Work on its 21 pitches will start later in the year and will be completed by March 2015.