‘TREATED WITH DISDAIN’
ANORTHUMBERLAND caravan owner says he’s been treated “with disdain” by a company who turfed out “loyal” visitors to make way for a new high-end holiday experience.
Around 30 families who’d rented pitches at High Newton-by-the-Sea were given less than three weeks to remove their static caravans earlier this year – despite having already paid deposits for the site.
Last week, As You Like It owners the Apartment Group announced plans to build luxury “glamping” cabins on the site, in the grounds of Newton Hall hotel.
Labelling the caravans which had been kept there “old and in a bit of a state”, chief operating officer Debrah Dhugga said the “Scandi” cabins would help the company “up our game” in Northumberland.
The statement came as a further blow to the families who, just weeks beforehand, had been forced to scramble to remove much-loved holiday homes from the site, during a national lockdown.
Clive Setford, who has kept his caravan on the Newton Hall site since 2013, said he, like many other caravan owners, had agreed to pay a £500 deposit to retain his spot, after receiving a letter from the Apartment Group on January 28.
He said the letter warned “several” caravans would need to be removed, but made no reference to his specific pitch.
Signing up to an agreement which required a month’s notice to even relocate the caravan within the site, he believed he’d secured his spot until November this year, and began anticipating a return to the “quiet, peaceful” site he’d been unable to visit for most of last year, despite paying all his usual fees.
But on February 23, Clive was shocked to be told that he, like two-thirds of the caravan owners on the site, would have to remove the caravan and all his family’s possessions by March 13. Clive, who lives near Chester, claims instead of securing the spot, the £500 deposit was held over his head as a threat to ensure he did leave.
The 66-year-old reluctantly decided to travel to Northumberland for the night to remove his family’s possessions before quickly selling the caravan, “albeit at a price that does not reflect the value it meant to us”.
Clive said: “We were stuck 250 miles away during lockdown. We felt we had no choice other than to sell our caravan and get some money for it, or the Apartment Group would do something with it and we would get nothing.”
He accused the company of driving regular visitors from their plots, adding: “The return of our deposit has been conflated by [the Apartment Group] obviously to be used as a lever to get those of us without a pitch in 2021 to remove our caravan in accordance with their requirements.”
He said he’d been heartbroken to have to give up his pitch in an area he’d “fallen in love with”, and to be forced to sell the caravan which his daughter Heather, who has severe learning difficulties, had felt so at home in. But with so little notice, he said it would have been impossible to find another site to relocate to.
“A lot of people who have caravans there have been there for an awfully long time – it’s just a quiet, peaceful place in a lovely part of the world,” he added.
“The way we’ve been treated is absolutely horrendous, and whilst we feel badly done to, others on the site have been affected even worse.”
A spokesperson for the Apartment Group said: “As with so many businesses, due to Covid-19 hospitality has been forced to close for the last 12 months resulting in virtually no income for the business for almost a year.
“In order to protect as many jobs as possible we have had to adapt and make adjustments to our business model.
“It was with a heavy heart, that one of these decisions was not to renew the contract for some caravans on the park, which ended in November 2020.
“We appreciate that some caravan owners have been on the site many years, and I can assure you that we understand their disappointment, but regrettably, this decision is necessary to safeguard the future of the business and its employees.
“All deposits have been fully paid. With regards tp the lockdown issue, two of the government exceptions are, 1. Businesses are allowed to continue to operate, unless the work can be done at home, and the removal of the caravans can obviously not be done at home.
“2. Individuals are allowed to leave their home if they have a reasonable excuse (which this is), and to fulfil a legal obligation (which this also is).
“We’re grateful for all the support that so many caravan owners and customers have shown us throughout this incredibly difficult period, and we look forward to opening our doors and welcoming back both staff and guests soon.”