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Chair, Honorable Members, thank you for inviting me to address you at this meeting.

 

I am Carole Keeble, the administrator of the Holiday Park Action Group and I am here today to represent 17,000 owners of holiday caravans pitched on caravan parks represented by the NCC and BH&HPA trade associations, as well as on independent parks.

 

I am sure you will all be experienced enough to recognise that it is the trade associations duty to further their members interests, and in doing so they are very effective in presenting the face of the Industry, in all its colour and glory as the traditional Great British Holiday.

 

They are here to impress upon you the value of the Industry to the UK economy and jobs, to reflect their members true views, and to gain your support for their industry.

 

I am here to represent 17,000 people who feel that any further support given, should only be provided if it comes with strict caveats to ensure consumer rights and protections are respected and enforced across the industry.

 

Perhaps a good starting place is with the views of the BH&HPA Director General, as expressed on behalf of their members on the BBC Radio 4 Money Box on 6th February.

 

When challenged by the presenter and the Solicitor Gary Rycroft over refunding of fees, paid to their members, the Director referred to customers as having naivety.

The fact that people think they are being ripped off, the Director came back with the reply:

"Well no business wants these sort of attitudes from their customers"

They are NOT attitudes, it IS how people feel about how they have been and are being treated.

 

Those words are a true reflection of the contempt in which a significant amount of their trade members hold their customers, not just in relation to refunds but in relation to their rights as consumers generally.

 

If you listen to the words of those customers, then the company's actions speak for themselves.

 

 

"Advice please. I followed the protocol of trying to sort out refunds with our site. I was getting no answers or replies, so yesterday I advised them I would have to seek legal advice. Today I have been given 28 days notice to leave"

 

"Be careful - I involved my MP and, within weeks of him writing to the park, they found a reason to have my caravan removed from the park! "

 

 

Those people, and hundreds more lost tens of thousands of pounds for merely asking for their rights to be respected.

 

Thousands of the people I represent will be able to provide evidence that demonstrates this industry needs to put its house in order if it is to be given Government and Tax payer's support.

 

When consumers live in fear of merely asking for their rights, or protections and suffer significant detriment as a result of doing so, then alarm bells should be ringing for honorable members of this group.

 

We live in a time where the emancipation of people from the clutches of historic slavery has been the focus of much political discussion, yet our society suffers from modern day slavery still.

 

When I now use the word ‘racketeering’ it will no doubt summon up historic images of Chicago in the 1930s, or London in the sixties, yet I assure you, just as slavery has not been consigned to the history books, neither has racketeering.

 

Strong words, dramatic perhaps, but our detailed report to the CMA in January, points to unequivocal proof, to which thousands of consumers will testify, that this is happening under our noses.

 

It cannot be simply referred to as "It's just business".

 

When award winning Consume Lawyer Dean Dunham, having looked at the issues in the sector, publicly states

 

“They're running roughshod all over our very good consumer protection laws”

 

 

What is the point of the UK having some of the world's best consumer protection laws if they sit gathering dust on the shelves of parliament through lack of enforcement by those charged with protecting consumers?

 

If you have read the recent article by former Chair of the CMA Lord Tyrie in the Financial Times you will understand that it is not only consumers who have lost faith in the ability of the authorities to protect them, but also those who were at the helm of the very same authorities charged with doing so.

 

The lockdown restrictions have shone a light on the fact that many thousands of people are living in these holiday parks. We have a considerable amount of evidence that this is a result of the mis-selling of holiday caravans as residential, the mismanagement of holiday parks and the failure of local authorities in enforcing park licences and planning regulations.

 

This has left many thousands of people open to exploitation, by holiday park owners and we have a considerable amount of evidence, and testimony that exploitation of holiday caravan owners is endemic throughout the industry.

 

I expect most of you are aware of the recent United Nations report regarding Blackstone, the world’s biggest private investment company, and their impact on a global housing crisis.

 

You may also be aware that Blackstone has recently bought a controlling stake in the UK's largest leisure company Bourne Leisure, which runs the country's best known Holiday Park Company Haven.

 

A housing time bomb is ticking across this industry, and many will feel the shock waves unless it is addressed.

 

Recently we have seen significant investment by private equity firms in the UK Holiday Park Industry and there is a reason why. There is money to be made, and the sector is unregulated.

 

These companies are not driven by a desire to run a Great British Holiday Park and I am sure have little or no knowledge of who Rory the Tiger is.

 

Where there is money to be made, business makes money. Where there is no regulation, business makes as much money as quickly as possible, whilst the tap is left to run or until the well is dry.

 

The source of that well is the hard-working decent consumers I represent, tax payers, maybe even constituents of yours.

 

All that we ask is that if you decide to continue to support this industry, you do so with your eyes wide open. If you do not know whom Rory the Tiger is then find out. If you do not know what Consumer Rights or protections are being ridden roughshod over then enquire.

 

The NCC and BH&HPA will no doubt give you a powerful argument for supporting their members, but it is only by taking the time to read our detailed report to the CMA and watching the live-streamed observations of Consumer Lawyer Dean Dunham, that you will gain a balanced view for the decisions you take.

 

Any support you do provide should only be granted on the strict proviso that the Consumer Protections and rights of Holiday Caravan and Lodge owners are actively promoted and enforced, else that support will be seen as condoning the many breaches that occur and are undermining our world renowned Consumer Laws.

 

I have previously provided the Chair with a copy of our CMA report along with links to the Live streamed observation by Lawyer Dean Dunham where you will also find the link to the BBC radio 4 Money Box programme.

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