Mobile home park dream turns to 'nightmare'
At a mobile home park owned by a reality television billionaire, residents moved in to "live the dream".
Instead, some are now "living a nightmare" as they battle issues with potholes, lighting and water leaks.
Willow Park, in Mancot, Flintshire, is owned by Wyldecrest Parks, the company of Alfie Best, who was the subject of TV documentary Gypsy Billionaire.
However, its licence for the site was not renewed when it expired in July 2023, and a new licence was also refused on appeal last year.
While Wyldecrest said it is "still committed" to carrying out work, residents in the 159 homes say no upkeep is carried out despite them paying a quarterly maintenance fee to the firm.
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Those that live there simply want someone to take responsibility.
"They (the residents) are so fed up of having to fight for basic needs when all they want is a hassle-free life in their later years," said long-term resident Julie Davies.
"We have been abandoned... Wyldecrest don't want to know, the council, the Senedd don't want to know.
"We've been left in limbo."
She said the site was "lovely" when she arrived 17 years ago to care for her elderly parents, but it had seen a "rapid decline".
Ms Davies said people had moved to "live the dream," but instead, they are living "a nightmare".
Licences for parks are issued by local authorities under the Mobile Homes Act (Wales) 2013.
But the sites have to be kept to a certain standard in order to keep them, as well as meeting other criteria.
Flintshire council said it refused a residential mobile homes licence to Wyldecrest Parks in October 2024 following complaints from residents regarding conditions on site.
It was now awaiting a date for Wyldecrest's appeal of that decision.
"The council continues to comply with the directions in respect of the appeal and is working with a legal team to ensure legal compliance is obtained on the site," a spokesperson said.
"The council is not in a position to take further legal action until the appeal process is completed and is unable to comment further while the legal process remains ongoing."
"We are in a no man's land," is how Jackie Morgan, 68, describes it.
"Wyldecrest totally ignore our pleas, and Flintshire council say they won't come on site to help because there's no licence."
Ms Morgan cannot take her 94-year-old father out in his wheelchair for fear it will tip over on potholes.
She also points to perimeter hedges left overgrown, while empty plots were left unmaintained.
The residents are also paying three times what they should for water because of leaks, according to residents' association chairman Ken Pierce, 84.
He has been on the site 23 years, and said: "Each home is paying £56.14 a month for water we don't use, it is going through the site meter, but not reaching our homes. We should be paying around £16 a month."
In a statement, Welsh Water said the leakage on site must be resolved.
It added: "We appreciate the concerns of the residents but this is an issue between them and their landlord as the leakage is occurring on the private part of the water network which Welsh Water does not maintain.
"The billing agreement between the tenants and the landlord is a private matter for them."
Wyldecrest spokesman David Sunderland, who is the manager for sites including Willow Park, said the company had not been served any compliance notices by Flintshire council and he denied that they had been ignoring residents.
"We communicate with all residents," he said, adding: "If anyone has a query, I'll talk to them."
He said the company had already been getting quotes for a new water main to be laid and any road resurfacing would take place after that work is complete.
The Welsh government said the local authority was best placed to comment on the situation.
Wyldcrest's other site in Flintshire, Willow Brook Park in Sandycroft, is also currently without a licence.
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