Row over ‘holiday homes’ leaves residents fearful for the future

But trouble is looming on the estate with its Identikit cream bungalows on the outskirts of Beverley, after a council issued legal notices over a possible breach of planning regulations, leaving some residents concerned about their future.

East Riding Council believes some residents are living in the homes all year round, contrary to the planning permission which states they should be occupied “for holiday purposes only”.

A friend of one resident said: “They got their first letter from the council about three weeks ago, questioning whether they knew their homes were not for full-time occupation.

“They have already had one meeting about it, in a pub, and it was packed.”

The current uncertainty meant it would be difficult for anyone who wanted to sell their property and move on, she said.

Speaking about her friend, she said: “The developer took her house in part-exchange, but she had to pay some more towards it. The issue is about the unauthorised used of homes.

“People have bought them believing they could live in them full-time. Now they have all been given forms to fill in, but some of the residents are struggling to understand them.

“Apparently most of the people who live there sold their old houses to the builders.

“People have said they would not have bought them if they had known they were not allowed to live in them.”

One resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, added: “There can’t be anything more worrying than worrying about whether you are going to have a home. If I’d known it was a holiday home I wouldn’t have touched it with a barge pole.”

However others on the estate remained tight-lipped yesterday, saying it was still early days for settling the situation.

A sign outside the estate office declares: “Retire in style in Flannigan Estates”, adding that Lakeminster Park “is for holiday living with 12-month occupancy.”

East Riding Council said residents were being offered appointments to discuss the matter and were advising them to take independent legal advice: “It has been brought to the council’s attention that there may be a breach of planning control in the occupation of units on Lakeminster Park.

“The planning permission for Lakeminster Park only allows occupation of the units for holiday use and not as a person’s sole or main place of residence. The council alerted residents to the issue by letter and has now served Planning Contravention Notices under the town and country planning legislation.

“The notices have been served to obtain further information on the nature of the occupation of units at Lakeminster Park.

“Separate inquiries are being made with the owners of the park.

It added: “It should be stressed that no decisions will be taken regarding enforcement action until a thorough evaluation of the responses to the notices has been carried out.”

A solicitor acting for the site operator Lakeminster Park Ltd said: “Our client and we take this matter very seriously. We sought and obtained advice and opinion from a leading planning barrister, a QC, who has advised the company that there is in all likelihood a practical and sensible solution to this issue which should not involve the contravention of anyone’s human rights.”

Planning permission was given to Flannigan Enterprises Ltd in 2006 for 169 “park homes for holiday use.”

Conditions on the planning state that the homes “shall not be occupied as a person’s sole or main place of residence”, and says the owners should keep a register with occupiers’ main home addresses.

However the site licence dated 2008 states: “All park homes shall be used for human habitation ALL YEAR ROUND and for holiday use only.”

The owner withdrew a planning application in March to build another 100 homes on the site but said they would be resubmitted.