Flintshire mobile home park residents in limbo with no maintenance
At a mobile home park owned by a reality television billionaire, residents moved in to "live the dream".Instead, some are now "living a nightmare" as they battle issues with potholes, lighting and water leaks. Willow Park, in Mancot, Flintshire, is owned by Wyldecrest Parks, the company of Alfie Best, who was the subject of TV documentary Gypsy Billionaire.However, its licence for the site was not renewed when it expired in July 2023, and a new licence was also refused on appeal last year.While Wyldecrest said it is "still committed" to carrying out work, residents in the 159 homes say no upkeep is carried out despite them paying a quarterly maintenance fee to the firm.
Those that live there simply want someone to take responsibility. "They (the residents) are so fed up of having to fight for basic needs when all they want is a hassle-free life in their later years," said long-term resident Julie Davies."We have been abandoned... Wyldecrest don't want to know, the council, the Senedd don't want to know. "We've been left in limbo."She said the site was "lovely" when she arrived 17 years ago to care for her elderly parents, but it had seen a "rapid decline".Ms Davies said people had moved to "live the dream," but instead, they are living "a nightmare".
Licences for parks are issued by local authorities under the Mobile Homes Act (Wales) 2013.But the sites have to be kept to a certain standard in order to keep them, as well as meeting other criteria.Flintshire council said it refused a residential mobile homes licence to Wyldecrest Parks in October 2024 following complaints from residents regarding conditions on site.It was now awaiting a date for Wyldecrest's appeal of that decision."The council continues to comply with the directions in respect of the appeal and is working with a legal team to ensure legal compliance is obtained on the site," a spokesperson said. "The council is not in a position to take further legal action until the appeal process is completed and is unable to comment further while the legal process remains ongoing.""We are in a no man's land," is how Jackie Morgan, 68, describes it. "Wyldecrest totally ignore our pleas, and Flintshire council say they won't come on site to help because there's no licence."Ms Morgan cannot take her 94-year-old father out in his wheelchair for fear it will tip over on potholes. She also points to perimeter hedges left overgrown, while empty plots were left unmaintained.
The residents are also paying three times what they should for water because of leaks, according to residents' association chairman Ken Pierce, 84.He has been on the site 23 years, and said: "Each home is paying £56.14 a month for water we don't use, it is going through the site meter, but not reaching our homes. We should be paying around £16 a month."In a statement, Welsh Water said the leakage on site must be resolved.It added: "We appreciate the concerns of the residents but this is an issue between them and their landlord as the leakage is occurring on the private part of the water network which Welsh Water does not maintain."The billing agreement between the tenants and the landlord is a private matter for them."
Wyldecrest spokesman David Sunderland, who is the manager for sites including Willow Park, said the company had not been served any compliance notices by Flintshire council and he denied that they had been ignoring residents."We communicate with all residents," he said, adding: "If anyone has a query, I'll talk to them."He said the company had already been getting quotes for a new water main to be laid and any road resurfacing would take place after that work is complete. The Welsh government said the local authority was best placed to comment on the situation.Wyldcrest's other site in Flintshire, Willow Brook Park in Sandycroft, is also currently without a licence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
13 hours ago
- Wales Online
Labour's Welsh secretary thinks Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are no different to one another
Labour's Welsh secretary thinks Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are no different to one another Both are electoral threats to Labour, polling shows Welsh secretary Jo Stevens (Image: Welsh Labour TV/PA ) Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are "two sides of the same coin," Welsh secretary Jo Stevens has said. Speaking at Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, Ms Stevens criticised both parties who pose a serious electoral threat to her party at the upcoming Senedd election, if poll projects are correct. She said: "Our opponents are two sides of the same coin. Plaid and Reform are divisive nationalists determined to rip our country apart. One with no plan to pay for the NHS, another with plans to sell it off to the highest bidder. "They will destroy the work we have done to create thousands of jobs in renewable energy, in advanced manufacturing, in defence. They will stop our free prescriptions and halt the progress made on waiting lists," she said. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Prime Minister Keir Starmer focused on national and international issues in his speech but also directly criticised Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The Senedd election in May 2026 is widely seen as being a huge test for both Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer. Polling shows Labour could slip from the party in power, for the whole of the devolution period, to third with 18% of the vote. The next election will be fought under a new voting system, with new constituencies and will increase the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 at a cost of billions. Article continues below In his speech, to open the event, Prime Minister attacked Nigel Farage saying he has "no plan" for Wales. He said the Reform UK leader 'isn't interested in Wales'. Referencing Mr Farage's visit to Port Talbot where he said his party wanted to look at reopening mines in Wales and said that the blast furnaces at the Tata plant in Port Talbot should be restarted. The Port Talbot proposal was widely criticised as being unrealistic. You can read about that here. Mr Farage himself admitted it would cost 'in the low billions' and industry experts and members said not only is the cost prohibitive but it is impossible to restart a closed blast furnace. He didn't directly criticise the reopening of coals mines suggestion by Mr Farage but did use the opportunity to highlight things his administration had done in terms of committing money to coal tip regeneration and miners' pensions. "Nigel Farage isn't interested in Wales, he's interested in Nigel Farage, he takes people for fools. "Just look what he said earlier this month, going to Port Talbot pretending he's got a plan to reopen the blast furnace, he's got no idea what he's talking about. He's got no plan at all. "Let's be clear. What Reform's plans would be mean in practice. Cancelling the electric arc furnace, cancelling the construction work that's on track to start in just a few weeks time, cancelling the 5,000 jobs it'll bring. "That's all you ever need to know about Reform," he said. Reform UK is polling to take seats in the Senedd and a recent UK Parliamentary poll by YouGov showed they would take 23 seats off Labour. Plaid Cymru would also do well at the expense of Labour. Less than a year ago, in the July general election, Labour took 27 of the 32 seats available. You can read that story here. The Senedd election in May 2026 is widely seen as being a huge test for both Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer. Polling shows Labour could slip from the party in power, for the whole of the devolution period, to third with 18% of the vote. The most recent polling for Wales by YouGov is here. The next election will be fought under a new voting system, with new constituencies and will increase the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 at a cost of billions. Article continues below
The Independent
14 hours ago
- The Independent
Nigel Farage ‘not interested in Wales', Starmer claims
Sir Keir Starmer has said Reform leader Nigel Farage 'isn't interested in Wales' and has no viable plan for Port Talbot's blast furnaces. Speaking at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, the Prime Minister described the Reform UK leader as a 'wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'When you ask him about Clacton, he thinks he's running in the 2.10 at Ascot,' Sir Keir joked. Mr Farage has said his party wants to restart Port Talbot's blast furnaces but Sir Keir said the Reform leader has 'no idea what he's talking about', when it comes to the furnaces, and has 'no plan at all'. Port Talbot's remaining blast furnaces were shut down in September, with a new electric arc furnace being built in their place. Reform is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination at the Senedd elections in May next year. Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage's party win a swathe of council seats. Taking aim at Mr Farage, Sir Keir said the Clacton MP is 'a wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'Reform claimed to be the party of patriotism while sucking up to Putin and abusing our armed forces online. 'They say they're the party of workers while they vote against workers' rights, intending to charge people to use the NHS and plan unfunded tax cuts for billionaires.' Sir Keir also said any deal between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru at next year's key elections in Wales would amount to a 'backroom stitch-up'. The elections to the Senedd will use a proportional system for the first time, meaning coalitions are likely. The Prime Minister said it would risk a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade' and risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make. It would be 'working families left to pick up the bill', he added. 'Whether that's with Reform or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country, with no plan to put Wales back together,' he said. 'I know that these are the parties that talk a big game, but who is actually delivering?' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election. Farmers gathered outside the conference to protest ahead of Sir Keir's speech, with about 20 tractors parked on the promenade in the north Wales resort town by late morning.
Wales Online
16 hours ago
- Wales Online
Keir Starmer warns Wales that Nigel Farage will treat us like 'fools' in scathing attack
Keir Starmer warns Wales that Nigel Farage will treat us like 'fools' in scathing attack The Prime Minister said Nigel Farage 'takes people for fools' Keir Starmer speaking at the Welsh Labour conference at Venue Cymru in Llandudno (Image: Welsh Labour TV/PA ) Prime Minister Keir Starmer has attacked Nigel Farage saying he has "no plan" for Wales. In a speech to Welsh Labour members at their conference in Llandudno he said the Reform UK leader 'isn't interested in Wales'. Referencing Mr Farage's visit to Port Talbot where he said his party wanted to look at reopening mines in Wales and said that the blast furnaces at the Tata plant in Port Talbot should be restarted. The Prime Minister criticised both of those saying the Clacton MP's plan for Port Talbot would result in the current progress towards the electric arc furnace being stopped and jobs being lost. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . The Port Talbot proposal was widely criticised as being unrealistic. Mr Farage himself admitted it would cost 'in the low billions' and industry experts and members said not only is the cost prohibitive but it is impossible to restart a closed blast furnace. He didn't directly criticise the reopening of coals mines suggestion by Mr Farage but did use the opportunity to highlight things his administration had done in terms of committing money to coal tip regeneration and miners' pensions. "Nigel Farage isn't interested in Wales, he's interested in Nigel Farage, he takes people for fools. Article continues below "Just look what he said earlier this month, going to Port Talbot pretending he's got a plan to reopen the blast furnace, he's got no idea what he's talking about. He's got no plan at all. "Let's be clear. What Reform's plans would be mean in practice. Cancelling the electric arc furnace, cancelling the construction work that's on track to start in just a few weeks time, cancelling the 5,000 jobs it'll bring. "That's all you ever need to know about Reform," he said. Reform UK is polling to take seats in the Senedd and a recent UK Parliamentary poll by YouGov showed they would take 23 seats off Labour. Plaid Cymru would also do well at the expense of Labour. Less than a year ago, in the July general election, Labour took 27 of the 32 seats available. You can read that story here. The Senedd election in May 2026 is widely seen as being a huge test for both Eluned Morgan and Keir Starmer. Polling shows Labour could slip from the party in power, for the whole of the devolution period, to third with 18% of the vote. The most recent polling for Wales by YouGov is here. Article continues below The next election will be fought under a new voting system, with new constituencies and will increase the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96 at a cost of billions.
