Park Home Forums Notes – September 2013

Mark O Brien – Community Network Manager briefs the park homes residents about the following:-

  • 1st forum meeting – 15th March 2013 in Bodmin
  • Around 60 residents from a range of different sites across Cornwall
  • Chaired by the then Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning – Cllr Mark Kaczmarek and also attended by Cllr John Pollard (Localism and Devolution) and Armand Toms (Adult Care and support)
  • Set up a series of speakers from the main Cornwall Council services dealing with issues relating to park homes.
  • Also had representatives from Exeter’s mobile home resident’s forum to tell us how it worked over there.
  • Had just launched out Park Homes in Cornwall – A residents guide to services
  • Feedback was that it was a really good 1st event and very informative
  • Wanted to repeat the meeting
  • Prefer less speakers and more Q&A
  • East and West meetings would be better and make it easier for more people to come

Elections May 2013

  • Changes in leadership and Portfolio Holders responsibilities
  • Leader – Cllr John Pollard
  • Cllr Haycock – Portfolio Holder for Adult Care, Health & Wellbeing
  • Cllr Brown – Portfolio Holder for Homes and Communities
  • Cllr Rowe – Portfolio Holder for Localism and Devolution
  • New governance structure set up with establishment of Portfolio Advisory Committees (PAC’s)
  • The aim of the PACs is to enable all Members to take a more active role in developing Council policies and monitoring performance

Budget

  • New budget set based on 0% Council tax increase
  • More savings needed to be made and Council having to continue to look hard at prioritisation, where it can cut costs and where it could raise income.
  • Continuing situation and there are a series of budget consultation events on going at the moment providing people with the opportunity to have their say.

Developing park home work

  • Council still has a strong commitment to continue the work of supporting park home residents
  • Set up a new park home webpage which will be developed over time but for the first time provides a single point on the website to bring together all the relevant information.
  • We became aware of the new DCLG guide on Know your rights. I therefore spoke to DCLG and explained the work we are doing here in Cornwall and persuaded them to send us 3,000 copies so that every home in Cornwall could have one. If not got one already, please collect one from us today and if you would be willing to take some to give to the other residents on your site, please let us know.
  • Forums – looked into the model that is used by Housing. This was based on the former District forum of tenant association model where representatives from the different resident associations come together.
  • These are resident let and supported by Cornwall Housing and Cornwall Council
  • Residents chair the meetings, set the agendas and Cornwall Council / Housing make sure the right people come along to the meetings.
  • Forums set up so it could apply for funding, set up its own website / newsletter
  • Acts as an independent and representative body
  • This is a model which could work for park home residents.
  • Emma Ball– Community Regeneration Officer Will now explain a bit more about it…

Setting up a Cornwall Park Homes Forum

Why set up a forum?

•Share information and best practice

•Lobby

•Invite guest speakers

•Apply for funding

•Influence policy

•Keep up to date with legislation

•Network with other park home residents

Give you a voice!

Things to Consider

•Form a steering group

•Draft a constitution

•Policies (equal opportunities etc)

•Boundaries (East/West)

•Aims/objectives/activities

•Frequency of meetings

•Officers (chairman, secretary etc)

•Logo

•Website

Setting up a Qualifying Residents Association

•7 Park Home Qualifying Resident Associations in Cornwall

•Guidance under Mobile Homes Act 1983 amendment 2006

•Must meet certain conditions to become a qualifying residents association

•Site owners must consult the association on changes or improvements to the site with at least 28 days notice

•If you do not meet the conditions the association will not have the same rights.

Qualifying Residents Association

•Must include at least 50% of park home owners on a site

•It has a chairman, secretary and treasurer

•Decisions of the association are taken by a vote, with one vote per home

•Keep records and documents e.g constitution, list of members, any other rules of the association

•Right to ask the site owner to recognise QUALIFYING ASSOCIATION

Resident association apply for grant funding for community projects and there is a free grant database called Grantnet available on the Council’s website

Next Steps

You need to think about ……

•Agree whether you want a forum

•Aims/objectives/activities

•Volunteers for the steering group

•Representatives from park homes sites on the forum

•Talk to the residents at your park homes site

•Feed comments back to the Localism Team

•A date will be set for the steering group

If you are interested in working with us and being part of the steering group to set up a forum for Park Homes in Cornwall or you have any comments and suggestions please

e-mail or Tel 01872 324807.

Please

–Make sure we have your contact details

–Take a Park Homes: Know your rights guide

–Tell us what issues are most important to you

–Write down your question for the Q&A session

–Tell us what you think about our new Park Home webpages on

Question and answer session

•Mr Stephen Hassall – changes when selling your home

•Pre-submitted Questions and Open Forum