Park residents' turmoil

Residents at Great Birchwood Country Park in Warton were dismayed when they were told last month that the campsite had been sold eight months ago in February – and they had to be out by the end of December.

Farm labourer Kev Fielding, 55, who lives full-time in his static caravan on the site, said: “I’m being made homeless, and I have never been homeless before. I’m devastated.

“I bought into a dream and it’s turned into a nightmare.”

Some 16 residents were told to vacate their homes by December – a date which was later pushed back to March 2017 by development company Britmax.

A further five residents whose leases extend beyond March will be permitted to stay on the site while building work is carried out.

Malcolm White, director of Britmax, said: “We bought the site knowing there would be people with ongoing leases, and those leases will be honoured.

“As to what the site will be used for, our planning officers and architects are still in consultation with the local authorities.”

Mr Fielding said: “I wasn’t going to go quietly, but since taking legal advice I know there’s nothing I can do.

“I have lived in bricks and mortar all my life, and ever since I came here I’ve absolutely loved it. I’ve got the woods on my doorstep where I can take my dog for walks, I’ve got my little garden and my decking.

“I don’t want to leave, but I have no choice.”

Glyn and Helen Rilet, from Manchester, forked out £7,500 for a five-year lease on their log cabin holiday home in 2013.

Mr Rilet said: “It costs £2,500 to rent the house for a year, so we thought we were making a clever investment.

“We are absolutely gutted. There’s no point coming here any more if it’s going to be a building site.

“We knew the site was up for sale but we were under the impression it would be done-up and kept as a caravan site. We didn’t know they were going to demolish it.”

He added tthey had not been offered compensation or a partial refund on their lease.

Father-of-one Gary Wilson, 50, who has lived at Great Birchwood for two years, said: “I paid £8,000 for a static caravan that I expected to spend many years in and I just don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m going to lose thousands.

“I thought I would be here for years.

“It’s not easy to sell a static caravan these days. It’s next to worthless.”

Mr White said: “It’s a good site in a good area and it wants to be a development that people can be proud to have –which is what it will be.”