A caravan owner at Burghead Holiday Park said new ownership has treated residents “like muck”.
Albert Burnett watched his neighbours tear down their wooden decking to abide by new rules set by Park Holidays UK.
He said the same couple then received a letter telling them to upgrade or leave the park by December.
Mr Burnett lives in Blackburn in Aberdeenshire but uses the caravan at Burghead as a getaway. He often takes his grandchildren there who love playing on the beach.
As much as he said the park was “such a good place” before new owners took over, he is now “sick of it” and wants to leave.
It comes as residents in the nearby Lossiemouth Bay Caravan Park say they have been told to “upgrade or get off” by the same new ownership.
‘We haven’t got a chance’
Park Holidays took over the Moray park along with Lossiemouth Bay Caravan Park in June.
Caravan owners at both parks were under the impression their site licence would last for 10 years and then be up for annual renewal as long as they kept their site presentable.
The company has said, once a caravan is 10 years old, owners can either pay tens of thousands of pounds for an upgrade or leave the park.
Mr Burnett has had a site, that he says is “like a second home”, for 13 years – paying £56,000 to upgrade from his first caravan to a 2015 model a few years ago.
Since it will soon be 10 years old, he too is expecting a letter in the next couple of years telling him his time at the park is up.
The 72-year-old said: “Most of us can’t afford with everything going on just now, we haven’t got a chance.”
‘Let us have individual taste’
Owners at both Moray parks have been handed a strict set of new rules that includes no washing lines, bird feeders or gardens.
“They’re telling us to take away any garden bits, I haven’t but lots of people have,” said Mr Burnett.
“Let us have a bit of individual taste and colours and things.”
He bought a new shed six months ago to store his garden chairs after asking permission from management, but has now been told to replace it with a metal one.
Mr Burnett struggles with his eyesight and suffers with cataracts so looks forward to spending time at the coastal haven with his grandchildren.
He said: “They’re going to miss it as well if it all goes to pot.”
‘I was absolutely fizzing’
Like caravan owners in Lossiemouth, Mr Burnett agreed that communication from Park Holidays has not been adequate, saying owners have been treated “like muck”.
“They’re just treating everyone terribly, it’s a disgrace,” he added.
He recently received a letter from the company that he summarised as saying “pay your fees in 14 days or you won’t have a pitch.”
Mr Burnett had paid his annual fees to previous owners in April, so did not understand why he should need to pay again so soon.
He said: “We get no information until we get a letter. I was absolutely fizzing, what a way to tell someone, they could have phoned me, but instead it was a threat.”
Moray MP Douglas Ross met with Park Holidays on Thursday after talking to caravan owners in Lossiemouth.
He branded the meeting “embarrassing” and “uncomfortable” as they seemed unaware of the issues. Mr Ross said they accepted that their communication with owners had been “completely wrong”.
Park Holidays response
When asked to respond to Mr Burnett’s situation, Park Holidays confirmed its response was the same as when asked about caravan owners at Lossiemouth Bay Caravan Park.
A spokesman said: “When customers originally bought a holiday home at Burghead Holiday Park, they signed a contract which specified the number of years they would be permitted to occupy the pitch in the holiday home they were buying. For a number of customers, that period is now approaching its end or, in some cases, ended a few years ago and they have been allowed to remain on an annually renewed licence.”
He added: “When the licence period expires, customers can sell the holiday home or relocate it to another park not owned by Park Holidays UK.
“However, for many owners the preferred option is to part-exchange it for a new or newer model. Park Holidays UK will always endeavour to extend preferential buying terms to such customers, such as a generous part-exchange valuation, or a discount on a new or pre-owned model.
“We are very grateful for these owners’ loyalty over the years, and will give every assistance possible to helping those who choose to do so to acquire a replacement holiday home and continue enjoying stays at Burghead Holiday Park.”
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