Doncaster MP highlights need for more help for park home owners

Caroline Flint visited residents at Palm Grove Court in Thorne this week to highlight the need for more help for owners of park homes.
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The MP is supporting a campaign by Age UK to have more help for park homes residents to reduce their energy bills.

During a tour of the site with Site Manager Rob Maltby and the Site Administrator Claire Kitchen, Caroline Flint visited one of the latest, energy efficient park homes to be built at Palm Grove Court. She also met with Cathy McGowan, Chair of the residents association.

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Said Ms Flint: “It was a pleasure see the latest improvements that the owners, Berkeley Leisure Group, are undertaking, renewing the roads, and updating the electrical supply. Residents are very happy living at Palm Grove Court. It has a real sense of community and many of the park homes are warm and comfortable. But I know that not all park homes owners are as fortunate as those in this community.

“Some residents, particularly those with older, more poorly insulated park homes, can face very high bills in the winter. On this site, residents are buying mains gas, but on some sites, people are paying for more expensive bottled gas.

“It costs, on average, about £9,000 to fully insulate a park home. And I am not convinced that the Government is doing all it can for these elderly residents.”

Tens of thousands of older people living in park homes are vulnerable if they cannot keep their home warm in winter.

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Said Ms Flint: “Cold park homes are a particular worry because the residents are older people, often with limited incomes and are more vulnerable to low temperatures and that exposure to the cold increases their risk of flu, chest infections and other respiratory problems. It is high time the Government brought all these residents in from the cold and tackled this ongoing problem.”

“I want a dedicated energy efficiency scheme for park homes, so that all residents can afford to keep warm over the winter.”