Mis-sold dreams: International spotlight on UK Holiday Park scandal

Retirement dreams shattered

Mike Chesworth, a 59-year-old delivery driver from Lancashire, invested his life savings into what he believed was a permanent home at Wyre Country Park, only to discover he could not legally reside there full-time. Misled by a salesman who assured him he could retire in the £180,000 static home, Mike and his wife are now trapped in a financial nightmare.

Mike revealed to BBC’s Panorama that instead of retiring, he has been forced into returning to work days a week, as the park only has a holiday licence, so he and his wife are actually unable to legally abide permanently in the unit.

Mike told the BBC: “You spent a lot of time and effort looking to retire, and you work 30 or 40 years of your life to do it, only to find the dream you thought you were going to have is the perpetual nightmare that you can’t seem to end.

“And it’s just, it’s heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking.”

Wyre Country Park’s owner, David Welch, denies misleading buyers, claiming sales agreements clearly state the park’s holiday licence.

Inheritance lost to Holiday Park promises

Emma and James Richardson of Cleethorpes invested a £25,000 inheritance and took on monthly finance repayments of £1,269 for a £110,000 caravan at Tattershall Lakes Park. Promised that subletting income would cover their costs, the couple instead found themselves drowning in expenses.

“We were haemorrhaging money,” James revealed, explaining how rental income was slashed by fees. Unable to sustain payments, they sold the caravan back for a fraction of its value, losing over £50,000.

Park operators Away Resorts, denied promises were made about rental returns. A spokesperson said the company was clear with caravan owners that “there are no guarantees” about subletting income.

Cancer diagnosis deepens financial woes

Andrew and Sue Dawson, retirees from Leeds, purchased a £62,400 caravan at Parkdean Resorts’ Skipsea Sands Resort, intending to enjoy family holidays. However, Andrew’s terminal cancer diagnosis in 2024 forced them to sell.

Despite assurances from the park’s salesperson that caravans “hold their value,” Parkdean offered the Dawsons just £16,000—a devastating blow during an already difficult time. Andrew described the process as “underhanded and lacking transparency.”

Parkdean Resorts expressed sympathy for Andrew’s situation but reiterated that holiday homes are not financial investments.

The official Parkdean Resorts website states that “buying a holiday home isn’t considered a financial investment, as holiday homes depreciate in value with age.”

Calls for justice

Approximately 365,000 people in the UK own Holiday park caravans, and a further 100,000 own static homes. The total similar to the number of British timeshare owners.

“We believe that this abuse has been going on for many years, and that there are significant numbers of victims like the people whose stories are published here,” says Greg Wilson, CEO of European Consumer Claims (ECC). “We appeal to anyone mis-sold or otherwise treated unfairly by a holiday park in the UK to come forward and share their experiences with us.

“If the law has been transgressed, we can assist.”