Policy & Research

Housing

Park Homes Project: Call for written evidence

Since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, the policy and legislative context for park homes has become increasingly different across Great Britain. Because of recent developments in Wales and in Scotland, we have prepared three separate consultation papers, reflecting the differences between the three nations. We recommend that bodies with an interest in more than one country respond separately to each paper.

 

In Wales, the National Assembly for Wales gained primary law making powers in March 2011, and in February 2012, the Order to transfer the jurisdiction on appeals and applications under the 1983 Act from county courts to Residential Property Tribunals was laid alongside its Regulations, which come into force on21 March 2012. In February 2012, the National Assembly for Wales voted unanimously to take forward Peter Black’s proposed Park Homes Bill to be drafted as a piece of legislation. Consumer Focus Wales will be responding to the consultation on the Bill when it is published. We have also responded to the Welsh Government consultation, “Meeting the Housing Challenge”, which we understand will be followed by a draft Housing Bill in 2013.

 

To download the Consumer Focus consultation for Wales, please click here.

 

In England, the jurisdiction on appeals and applications under the 1983 Act from county courts to Residential Property Tribunals was transferred in April 2011. In April 2012, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published a consultation paper on aspects of park home site licensing reform and sale blocking abuses, “A Better Deal for Mobile Home Owners”, to which Consumer Focus will be responding in detail. We have also responded to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry into park homes and welcomed the opportunity to provide the inquiry with oral evidence in March 2012.

 

The Consumer Focus consultation paper for England will be published shortly.

 

In Scotland, the Scottish Government published a consultation paper in March 2010 on a proposed Private Rented Housing Bill, which included a section on the licensing of park homes. Consumer Focus awaits a further consultation paper examining the site licensing regime for park homes in more detail which we understand will be published shortly. The Scottish Government have also published a consultation paper asking for views on amending the implied terms in the Mobile Homes Act 1983. This took place in the spring of 2011 and we await recommendations from this exercise. Consumer Focus has also had the opportunity to discuss its research with the Scottish Government Residential Mobile Homes Stakeholder Working Group.

 The Consumer Focus consultation paper for Scotland will be published shortly.