CARAVAN park owners are working together to help ensure people do not live illegally on the sites.
Clwyd West AM Darren Millar set up a meeting between park bosses, Conwy County Council, the police and Jocelyn Davies, the Assembly’s Deputy Minister for Housing, to discuss claims there may be thousands living all year round on some caravan parks.
Mark Whitehouse, owner of Whitehouse Leisure Park, Towyn, insisted his park and others nearby operated legally and believes the figure is wide of the mark. But he said he was keen to see a working partnership to safeguard the credibility of the caravan park industry.
He said: “I can categorically state we do not have anyone living in caravans on this park. We may have people who spend a large amount of time in the summer months staying here, but they certainly do not live here.
“I believe statistics suggesting thousands live on caravan parks in this area are very questionable. All the caravan park owners locally are against any breaking of the rules and want to do what we can to protect the image of the industry in this area by working together."
Mr Whitehouse added that a small number of luxury homes on the park are owned by residents, which a license exists for.
Mr Millar has warned of a slippery slope towards “trailer park ghettos” in the region, having received information indicating there are 7,000 more people registered with GPs in Conwy and Denbighshire than official population statistics in the counties as well as children going to school from caravan parks, claiming free bus passes and housing benefit and receiving support from social services.
He said: “It is crucial that we do not allow the industry to decline and that people do not see holiday parks as a low cost solution to their housing needs.
“The majority of park owners are responsible people who manage their parks well, but the Deputy Minister has agreed to consider improving the regulation of the caravan industry to provide extra safeguards against this problem and to ensure that unscrupulous park owners do not go unpunished when they break the rules.”