A neighbouring hotelier has stepped forward to offer accommodation to residents of a caravan park who are facing eviction.
Private owners of vans and chalets at Loch Awe Holiday Park at Taynuilt, Oban, have been told they are breaking regulations – because they stay there year round.
However, the 28 residents, some of whom have been there for 20 years, say this has never been enforced before.
Most of them are aged over 50. But now they could end up out on the street after they received letters demanding they prove they have a permanent residency elsewhere.
Cove UK bought the park from Argyll Holiday in February last year. They started sending out letters in June in order to comply with the Site Licence, a company spokesman said.
The American-based company said the private owners are breaking their pitch agreements.
Site will close in February
Now the park will close for a month in February to ensure it does not breach the licence, which only allows residents to stay for up to 10 months a year.
It already closed in November, when one resident who works as a taxi driver in Oban was forced to sleep in his car.
If residents cannot prove they have a permanent address away from the site, they have been told they must leave by March 31.
Christine Fox, owner of the Brander Lodge at Bridge of Awe, said they are closed for winter and can offer people a place to stay in February.
She said: “It’s absolutely shocking. I mean come on, be reasonable.
“We could put them up in the hotel and let them use the chalet for cooking and washing and that sort of thing. You can’t just put people out, certainly not here where it’s impossible to get rented accommodation.
“It took us ages to find somewhere (when we moved here).
“I’m happy to do whatever we can to help them out. We could sort something out, they could just pay whatever it is they pay for rent.”
Meetings with site owners
Residents are due to meet with representatives from Cove UK on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
May Clayton, 66, who works in Oban, has stayed at the park for 19 years. Now facing eviction, she has put her name on the Argyll and Bute Council housing list.
Meanwhile, retired couple Sandy and Christine Nicol, both 62, have also received a letter. They moved to the park after selling their Oban house two years ago.
The pair spend most of the year touring, and use their son and daughter-in-law’s home in Taynuilt for a postal address.
They have spent a total of £155,000 on a static caravan and a lodge at the site after retiring due to Christine’s ill health.
The salesman for the previous owner knew their situation when he approached them about the chalet, they said.
Some caravans at the 120 pitch site are owned privately and some are let out to holidaymakers.
It is hoped all owners will be able to satisfy the site agreements, a spokesman for Loch Awe Holiday Park said.
However, if they do not, the pitch agreements won’t be renewed from April 1 onwards.
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