Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Hazelgrove Caravan Park Saltburn by the Sea

Welcome to the Hazelgrove Caravan Holiday Park Blog Site, this site is for the use of anyone who wishes to comment on the Hazelgrove Caravan Holiday Park and it's new Licence Holder Tingdene Parks Ltd.  Hazelgrove Caravan Holiday Park was established circa 1950s and is situated on 8 acres of Land which was originally granted as a gift to the inhabitants of Saltburn by Lord Zetland in circa 1896, This in turn became the first "Free Park" in Saltburn and was entrusted to the then Council of the day, the land to this day has a number of existing covenants attached to it, the main one being is that the land is used for leisure purposes only.  At it's inception as a caravan park Hazelgrove was run by the local council, it was then transferred via a lease to Robert Traves and then passed hands again through the original lease to Lido Leisure Ltd. From the 1950s onwards it has always been a Holiday Park, from those pioneering days of weird and wonderful touring caravans through to static holiday caravans which are now the mainstay with touring facilities removed a number of years ago. Currently on the Hazelgrove Caravan Holiday Park are persons who have been coming here since their childhood and are now themselves pensioners. However late in 2009 the Park was sold to a company called Tingdene Parks Ltd, who are currently developing the park to accomodate 50 Residential Caravans which are being marketed as "Park Homes", and to create a semi retirement / retirement village for the over 45s. These Park Homes which range from £95K to £180K are approximately 40 foot by 20 foot in dimension.  By installing 50 of these homes virtually half the park will be taken up on land that was bequethed for leisure purposes to the inhabitants of Saltburn.  Much consternation has been caused by this delevelopment, not only to the current Owner Occupiers of Holiday Homes but to residents of Saltburn and the Saltburn Civic Society, which has been widely circulated in the local press and the "Talk of the Town, Saltburns own local publication.  According to these sources Tingdene Parks Ltd have refused or declined to comment on what appears to be a growing unrest.  It is known that the local Trading Standards Office has had to intervene on a number of issues involving current Owner Occupiers of holiday caravans and that this has now been esculated to include their colleuges visiting Tingdene's head office in Northampton.  In another twist the current Owner Occupiers of holiday caravans at Hazelgrove with support from a number of sources, including, the local M.P. Mr.Tom Blenkinsop, Trading Standards, Local Councillors, Local Radio stations and the local press, have felt compelled to organise themselves into a self help group, designed to protect themselves from what appears to be an arrogant company who are upsetting what used to be a happy holiday park. Sources from within the group say that this new company does not want to communicate despite previous requests for face to face meetings, instead Tingdene Parks Ltd say that any concerns should be put in writing and sent to the controlling Director Mr. Ian Collier.  However it would appear that replies received have been considered ambiguous and the concerns largely remain intact and those on the receiving end feel that Tingdene Parks Ltd Public Relations leave a lot to be desired. The self help group which is in its infancy hope to develop a dialouge with Tingdene Parks Ltd whilst working closely with the local M.P.s office and the local Trading Standards.

35 comments:

  1. Welcome to our first member Coastal View, who covered our meeting of the 24th September, the paper is now out for circulation and can be read at all libraries in the area. Issue 4

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  2. Title: Re: Work to start at North Denes this week!
    Post by: tedH on 17 September 2010 at 09:51 AM

    well i hope tingdene do a better job on this site then they have on waterside park they have owned it for over a year but very little has been done and paul spriggins never replies to letters email etc

    Title: Re: Work to start at North Denes this week!
    Post by: Old Spice on 17 September 2010 at 10:26 AM

    Typing "Tingdene complaints" in Google is enlightening about the waterside park.

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  3. Darren Lewis
    Customer Service Manager / Director Recently Made Redundant - Actively Seeking New & Challenging Role
    Northampton, United Kingdom
    • Contact Darren Lewis
    • Add Darren Lewis to your network
    Past
    • Customer Service & Inspection Manager at Tingdene Homes Ltd

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  4. With the house market at a stand still, what do you think should be done to turn park home sales around?
    Do you think park home prices are too high? The current world economic crisis and depressed state of the property market has made many prospective buyers cautious about investing in both bricks and mortar and park homes. It has also become much more difficult to sell homes.

    Progressive park operators are beginning to look at new ways to make our unique way of life more affordable. If park operators were to cut turnkey park home prices by up to 50 per cent, but significantly increase ground rent – to say £250 per month – would this tempt you to take the plunge? This would bring the average cost of of new two-bedroom twin unit park home down to around £55,000.

    And remember, if you have less than £16k in the bank you could even claim back your ground rent via Government grants.

    Let me know what you think of this, or any other ingenious idea, and I’ll act as your mouthpiece and relay your views to the industry.

    Email me your views at: alex_melvin@ipcmedia.com

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  5. I have a story to tell about being ripped off by Tingdene Park Homes.They installed the wrong kitchen which they have admitted and now after five months of dragging their heels they are not going to install the right kitchen, wardrobe doors not fitting properly after being adjusted four times it needs a complete new frame and doors. They have made a clear £60,000 profit from us,They have charged us £990 for intergrated tumble dryer, £880 for intergrated washing machine, £750 for a fridge/freezer, Patio doors that couldn't be closed properly or locked, bathroom light fitting smashed, skirting boards covered in adhesive that you cant get off, The electrical consol fuse box on the wall in the kitchen that works the washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge/freezer, hob, extractor fan that fell apart and exposed the bare wires, the list is endless they should be named and shamed so that other people are not ripped off like we have been. We retired this year and this should have been our retirement dream home to be able to relax and live the rest of our lives in peace and quiet, instead we are having to fight for our rights causing us upset, frustration, anxiety, floods of tears,we don't need this at our time of life.They take weeks to reply to letters sent, we've made no end of phone calls only to be told they will ring you back and they don't. We have twenty four residents on this park and each and every one has a tale to tell about Tingdene some have been waiting over a year for work to be carried out.
    I do hope you can help us and stop other people who are considering buying a Park Home when retiring not to make the same mistake of purchasing a Tingdene Park Home there is no commitment from their Managing Director Chris Gibbard

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  6. [09/07/2010] joan: i have a place on waterside village owned by tingdene they have had it a year now and it still looks like shanty town and it appears they can do as they like maybe its because they have purchased noth dene caravan site from waveney council they can get away with anything my advice is keep clear of any park tingdene own.



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    [23/09/2010] Ruth: This company do not give a damn about people all they want is the money none of the staff seem to care about people think very long and hard about purchasing a property from them.



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  7. Paul Haeney Over the past few years, the quality and therefore value of static caravans has improved dramatically.However, it is normal practice that owners are still charged the maximum 15% commission when selling their caravans, this is despite the information provided below.

    If any individual owners have been successful in reducing the 15% commission, or if you know anyone who has, it would be of great benefit to all NACO members to know the circumstances, can you help ?


    The High Court ruled it unfair and unlawful to take sales commission which does NOT reflect the work undertaken ( OFT v Foxton's (2009) EWHC 1681 Ch ). http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2009/1681.html.
    The unfairness arises in that one party is imposing a large financial liability on
    a second party in relation to a transaction in which it has played virtually no part. Applying the principles of this High Court case, it becomes quite clear that a park owner would not be able to justify a 15% commission in hardly any circumstances of sale.

    Furthermore, OFT 734
    http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/unfair_contract_terms/oft734.pdf
    states that the park owner should not undertake actions which FORCE the consumer (the caravan owner) to accept increased costs (i.e. 15% commission, not commensurate with work done or expense incurred), and must not disadvantage a consumer who has less power in the relationship.

    Also there is this at
    http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-knowledge/162970-static-caravan-sales.html

    I have 1st hand experience of this. I sold a van and recovered the 15% commission in the county court. The law was Regulation5(5) of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 because the consumer did not agree to the contract at purchase and the van park unilaterally varied the terms without the consumers consent a year later imposing new fees without giving the consumer reasonable opportunity to become acquainted with those terms or exit the contract without penalty.


    about 8 months ago · Report

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  8. Sent by disgruntled. We was sold a place on the waterside park by tingdene and told we can live in it or have tenants in, the council have told us we can not live here its 12 month holiday park NOT a residental park so please be very careful anyone who sells up to buy a place on here.

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  9. [02/11/2010] aitch: I have a chalet on tingdenes waterside park and like you do not like how they run the park,they got 12 months holiday use granted by the council,but they seem to ignore the holiday park and people live on the park my place is freehold but they sell them on a leasehold now,we have a restritive covenant on them,they seem to pick and choose who can ignore them. It seems every park they buy they apply for 12 months holiday use then let the new buyers live on site I really dont think they are in the least bit interested in holiday parks they want to sell the chalets or caravans for people to live in full time the council seem to turn a blind eye to it.We had a club house of no interest to them so lease it out.The company dont give a damn about the people on site.I tried selling mine but was told i cant put the price of it on display can only put for sale and a phone number yet they put the price on theirs.We have had a few look at ours but they say but your not allowed to live in yours you can the ones they own which is a lie so am I meant to lie as well.The council should be asking for council tax bills from owners main homes its not a holiday park now it looks like a mini housing estate. My advice is think long and hard before buying on the sites TINGDENE now own.



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    This is a post from "Aitch" at waterside park,

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  10. Sad day today at Hazelgrove, one of our neighbours on Nightingale has departed the site after beng here for three and a half years, to watch all the decking being taken down and the lovely plot they had, being destroyed as the caravan is moved off the pitch, sickens one to the stomach. And why? Well its all about greed really, a greedy and uncaring company who are not interested in holiday parks or the persons who pay their site fees, its about marketing and selling overpriced sheds to a gullible section of society who dont really know what there getting into. Thats why these sheds (an industry term not mine) are marketed as Park Homes and not residential caravans as they should be. Anyone in any doubt about this need only look at the Site Licence which specifically states Caravans, which start at cica £95k up to £140K. All that money for something you have very little control of as you do not own the land, in fact you have to pay a monthly fee for the previlage of spending all that money and giving huge profits To Tingdene, then you pay council tax at Band A, wow, its gets worse with every sentence.

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  11. Had two visits today, one from a chap who is being prevented from selling his caravan due to the Unilateral and self imposed 10 year sale rule, which states that if you want to sell your caravan that is 10 years or older then it has to be removed to a caravan site in Redcar. This is of course a load of old tosh, as guidelines laid down by the Office of Fair Trading under Unfair Terms in a Contract Act 1999 state. Anyone who has a fifteen year agreement is fully entitled to sell their caravan under their original agreements. The second chap who visited is concerned about the relocation problem and Tingdenes attitude to the Office of Fair Trading rule on "like for like plots" Of course as previously posted Tingdene are playing the "coy" game of volunteer relocations instead of stating that they want specific caravans to relocate. But then again what more can you expect?

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  12. From tedH at Lowestoft Online

    I have looked tingdene up on the net seems not many parks are pleased with them taking over the parks seems its not just waterside park

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  13. Article from Advertising Standards Agency

    The advertisers said the photograph used in the advertisement was of a Tingdene Mackworth Lodge; they asserted that there were several of those properties available at Willowgrove Park. They said properties featured in their advertisements would not necessarily still be available when the advertisement was published.

    The Authority noted the complainant believed the property pictured in the advertisement was not at Willowgrove Park and the advertisers had not sent evidence that it was for sale in Willowgrove Park at the time the advertisement was published. It told them to ensure properties featured in future advertisements were from the advertised holiday parks and they held evidence to prove that those properties were available
    Follow the link
    http://www.asa.org.uk/Complaints-and-ASA-action/Adjudications/2005/3/Barton-Park-Homes-Ltd/CS_39424.aspx
    Now where have we seen this type of transgression before?

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  14. Talking to people on the site today, a lot of unhappy people, where did it all go wrong? What was wrong with the way things were? Well maybe on the 24th November we may get some answers. Mr. Ian Collier Director and the manager of Hazelgrove Park has agreed to a meeting where our M.P. Mr. Tom Blenkinsop will be present. For our part we hope for a constructive meeting and a return to the way things were prior to November 2009. Let us pray.......

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  15. Another Residential Caravan arrived to day, so six on the site now.

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  16. Hello all - this is the editor of Park Home & Holiday Caravan magazine, Alex Melvin. With reference to the post from 16 October, 2010, I'd just like to make clear that this was not a direct post in relation to the dispute/ problems at Hazelgrove Caravan Park. My comments have actually been taken from a prior blog from www.phhc.co.uk. I would like to make it clear that I am in no way involved - on either side - in this particular dispute and have no view on the matter. My words were simply posted on www.phhc.co.uk as a vehicle for a broader debate about park home prices/ pitch fees generally. Thank you, Alex Melvin, Editor, Park Home & Holiday Caravan

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  17. Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow /Hey thanks man!! you are so good. I think this the perfect work.

    Caravans for Sale

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  18. After a meeting between Mr Ian Collier for Tingdene Parks Ltd, our local M.P. Mr Tom Blenkinsop and two members of our intended caravan ownwers association, it was agreed by Mr Ian Collier that subject to our ticking all the right boxes he would agree in principle to our association. It was also agreed the the National Association of Caravan Owners (NACO) would be approached with a view to drafting our proposed constitution. This we have of course done, however, despite posting a letter of introduction and the draft constitution directly to Mr. Ian Collier at the head office of Tingdene Parks Ltd, despite hand delivering a copy of the same to the new Park Manager Mr David Wignall and obtaining a receipt for the same, and despite e-mailing the same to both the head office and the caravan park office, we have to date niether had an acknowledgement or a reply. Our first post was on the 29th January 2011. So here we are on the 9th March 2011 and as usual we are being ignored.

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  19. Out canvassing potential members today. We are pleased to announce that Coastal View and Moors News have become our first Honourary Member and we look forward to working close with Steve and Lynne Nichols in the future. We also welcome the help of David Honeywell who works with Coastal View and Moors News

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  20. We were pleased to be visited by Mrs Joan Guy from the Saltburn Parish Council on the 11th March. Joan was kind enough to listen to our views and concerns and as a result will lookfurther into matters and bring our concerns to the next Parish Council meeting. Thank you Joan

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  21. We the Hazelgrove Caravan Owners Association are pleased to announce that our Inaugral Meeting will take place on the 25th March 2011 at 6.30pm at the Scout Hut Milton Street Saltburn.

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  22. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/I-live-in-a-Park-Home/173439945999686

    A great facebook page to visit

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  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. Representatives of the Hazelgrove Caravan Owners Association are seeking a meeting with Mr Philip Thompson, Councillor for saltburn by the Sea

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  26. Great post with lots of really good information!

    Caravans For Sale

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  27. TRDear Joanna

    WARNING – ROGUE TRADER – SURE SEAL OF WHITEGATE STABLES - LINCOLN – OWNER WILLIAM KING – TELEPHONE NUMBER 07717 161949

    I wonder if you could warn residents of the above company. Here in Exonia Park we have had a rough ride with this company.

    They arrive on site with large liveried vans in uniform with the slogan that they are supported by the Park Home Magazines. Really look professional.

    We ( I ) was taken in and accepted their quote for cladding, guttering, etc. All was going ok – then they got sloppy and wanted more money. One resident called the Trading Standards Office, who arrived with police etc, the foreman was taken to the police station here in Exeter and released some 8 hours later. My work was just being finished, so I had to carry on – they left the next day. I then got another firm to look at the work they had supposedly done underneath the home , and was told it was not done. By this time my cheque had gone through and I could not stop it.

    I wrote to William King, the owner, stating my case and he agreed to pay me back£2,000. This was in October 2010.

    I have had so many stallings and lies and bounced cheques, he even used his wife’s building society account which bounced twice. I am obviously not going to get my money back unless I spend even more.

    It is a hard lesson to learn – I have written to the Editor of the Park Home Magazine and sent her a copy of the bouncing cheques – but have had no response. They go all over the country with I’m sure the same results.

    I wonder if you could warn people in your next newsletter not to use this firm.



    .ADE WARNING

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  28. Hazelgrove Caravan Owners Association

    25th March our big day, the day we officially launch our Association

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  29. Hazelgrove Caravan Owners Association is now officially launched. Under the close observation of our local M.P. Mr. Tom Blenkinsop and Mr. David Knowles from the Saltburn Civic Society, a committee was elected. We now go forward to build our Association into an important group working towards a better holiday park.

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  30. Wow, here is a strange one, how safe are these residential licences?

    BONGAREE Caravan Park’s permanent residents have been given notice their leases will expire in almost 10 years time so the park can be a holiday-only facility.
    On Wednesday, Moreton Bay Regional Council notified the long-term tenants that their leases will expire on June 30, 2020.
    Residents will still have the option of selling their on-site caravans as going concerns with new owners given the opportunity to secure a lease the site until the closure date.
    The 3ha long-stay section will be converted to short-stay accommodation to help meet the increasing demand from tourists.
    Councillor Gary Parsons (Div 1) said the landowner, the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM), had determined long-term accommodation did not fit the site’s designation as a Reserve for Camping.

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  31. Isn't BONGAREE Caravan Park in Australia? Perhaps the Australian laws are different to the English ones...

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  32. I am sure you are probably already aware that Hazelgrove was granted permission under a lawful development certificate! Which could be over turned if the council wished as there is planning history stating that this is a holiday park in 1995 the council is well aware of this!

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  33. The council are well aware that the certificate should have not been issued for residential use as the park clearly has planning for holiday use and its mentioned in the 1995 planning consents to vary the season but unless enough people complain to the council i dont believe they are interested in doing anything about it as the council do have the powers to revoke a certificate of lawful development if it has been issued in error! And there is case law on it! Amy Feighery and Emma garbutt know all about it in the council

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  34. Please see new blog "Park Home & Holiday Home Times" at http://parkhomebill.blogspot.co.uk/

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  35. I got too much interesting stuff on your blog. I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! Keep up the good work. karavan tuvalet

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