LONG established residents of a Bournemouth home park are up in arms after their landlord introduced new residents on budget rates.

The residents of Iford Bridge Park Home live in an idyllic setting on the banks of the River Stour in Bournemouth.

Last year, an advert went out for tenants for new homes that arrived in the site.

They cost £80 a week to rent, no deposit required.

People who were homeless or on housing benefit were accepted. Many of the existing residents, who had all bought properties, had understood the site to be for over-55 owners and home-owners only.

Resident Richard Fearns, 68, said: “We spent a lot of money coming here and this has devalued our home. This could be a wonderful park.”

Ken Ayres, 74, secretary of the residents’ committee, accused the site owner of “sale blocking”, a practice denounced in Parliament.

He claimed some site owners try to make it difficult for residents to sell their homes, so they can buy them out at a reduced rate, then make a large profit by selling the homes on.

Ken said: “If Mr Sines can stick DSS renters by the side of somebody’s home, they will not be able to sell it.”

Ward councillor Lawrence Williams echoed Ken’s concerns about the influx of new tenants.

But the site owner Maurice Sines rejected the accusation.

He said the new rented homes were a temporary measure to make use of vacant plots with no car access.

He said: “It’s nothing about reducing the value of the homes already there. The park owner is allowed to rent.

“Everything that is being done is being done by the rules and regulations.”

He added that the residents’ association is “just out to get me”.

Lives have been made a 'living hell'

IN 2006 Ed Vaizey, MP for Wantage, told parliament that Mr Sines made the lives of home park residents in his constituency “a living hell” through intimidation.

He said: “The tactics include bringing on site undesirable tenants and very low-grade units, demolishing units and leaving them on the site.”

He said residents had “obtained damages of £75,000” in the courts. Mr Sines said the money was to compensate for people for living on a building site.

Maurice Sines was also fined £1,000 by Southampton Magistrates’ Court this year for a council prosecution over Medina Park on the lsle of Wight. He admitted telling a resident their home was “worthless” to try and make them give up the property.

Mr Sines said of the Wantage court action: “You are talking about spilt milk.

“We paid the fine, it’s done.”