Littlehampton: Tenants on caravan site evicted

Resident Nichola Wilson says the caravans are "very, very old"

People living on a residential caravan site in Sussex have been given two months' notice to leave their homes.

The landlords for the Harbour Close park in Littlehampton Marina said they needed to remove 38 caravans as they do not comply with standards required by the council.

One tenant said she was "heartbroken" when she received the eviction letter.

Arun District Council (ADC) said it would communicate with the tenants to "assess housing need".

The council issued a licence in February 2023 requiring the site owners, Broomer Farm Trading Limited, to ensure the caravans met required standards by February 2028.

A spokesperson for ADC said the existing caravans were "holiday static caravans" that were "unsuitable for residential use".

Nichola Wilson is considering living in her car

Nichola Wilson, who pays £640 a month for her static caravan, fears she will not find anywhere else to live, especially as she has two dogs.

Jaimee Bremer said she is now "facing homelessness".

She says her caravan is so cold her toilet freezes over in winter and she has mould growing in her kitchen.

"I've made some really good friends and met supportive people.

"We all looked after each other in the pandemic - we've just been united for so long."

Jaimee Bremer has lived in her caravan since 2018

ADC said it had given the landlords the option to replace the caravans in stages "to minimise disruption to existing tenants", which did not require the site owner "to have taken the approach they have".

However, Thomas Grubb from the Broomer Farm Group said the company would have to clear the site completely as replacing the accommodation would be "very costly".

He said: "We do regret the pressure to serve notice on our tenants, many of whom have been with us for a number of years.

"Unfortunately a combination of the statutory legislation surrounding caravan sites in the UK and our need to avoid criminal prosecution, leaves us with no other viable options."

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