19th March 2021

 RESIDENTS HAVE DONE IT.  THERE IS MOVEMENT ON THE 10% COMMISSION CHARGE

Congratulations to all campaigners from the Park Home Owners JUSTICE Campaign.  Since 2014, 30,000 plus residents petitioned, campaigned, rallied, wrote letters and attended meetings in Westminster to obtain an Independent and Transparent review of the 10% Commission Charge.

I am so happy to tell you that your perseverance has paid off.  Yesterday (18^th March ) along with Mr. Turner of PHPF,  Mr. Pye of IPHAS and Mr. Doick of NAPHR, I received an email from MHCLG informing that the Department has commissioned The University of Liverpool, with the support of Sheffield Hallam University to carry out the research of the 10% Commission Charge in early April 2021.

I have been asked to attend a meeting to put forward the views of our Justice Campaign and have happily agreed.  I have also been asked to suggest four park home residents who would be prepared to be part of a residents focus group and put forward their reasoning as to why we should not pay the 10% Commission Charge.  This has been done and four residents will be participating.

I am also very pleased to inform you that our President, Sir Peter Bottomley  (who supports our campaign) has written a letter on behalf of our campaign to another authority and a copy of that letter will be sent to the researchers.

This is just the beginning, but we have at last got what we campaigned for.  Now, we have to hope that the researchers will agree that the 10% is an archaic charge for which the site owners do nothing.  It steals your equity and seriously undermines the amount of care you can purchase if you need to move to a residential/nursing home.

We must now all sing from the same hymn sheet if we want change – because the industry will certainly put up a concerted fight.

IMPORTANTLY.  WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT ANY ABOLITION OR CHANGE  IN THE 10% COMMISSION CHARGE MUST NOT BE REFLECTED IN THE PITCH FEE – AND I WILL CERTAINLY PUSH THIS POINT.

Well done to you all

Best Wishes

Sonia