Murdo Fraser MSP has called for a tightening of legislation regarding holiday park accommodation.
This followed the announcement that the new owners of Bendochy Holiday Park, near Blairgowrie, are working with lodge owners and Perth and Kinross Council to find a resolution after claims owners were misled into believing they could stay in their lodges permanently.
In September last year, the council issued six lodges - and the previous owners Heritage Park Estates - with enforcement notices due to the alleged breach of planning rules.
The Scottish Government rejected lodge owners' appeals and upheld Perth and Kinross Council's decision; an enforcement notice for one holiday lodge was withdrawn by the local authority in November. As a result, the affected lodge owners have been given until the end of 2026 to provide the council with a main/permanent address.
In September 2024, Perth and Kinross Council issued enforcement notices to the company which owned the holiday park - and has since gone into liquidation - and the owners of six lodges who were believed to be using them as their sole permanent place of residence. One enforcement notice was subsequently withdrawn by the council in November 2024 and four were appealed.
Following the recent issuing of the appeal decisions, Perthshire Lodge Company - which recently took ownership of the holiday park - said it will work with both the council and lodge owners to resolve the matter.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: "I appreciate that the dismissal of these appeals will cause real concern for the affected residents at Bendochy, but the planning position here is clear, that these properties never had permission for use as permanent residences.
"There are very serious issues here about the alleged mis-selling of these properties to the residents. I previously raised this with the Trading Standards department in Perth, who were pursuing a case against the park owners, and it is hugely frustrating that this case has had to be dropped due to the transfer in ownership of the park and the liquidation of the original developers.
"All this highlights the weakness in current laws around park homes - a growing sector in the housing market. I have been engaging with both SCOPHRA – the Scottish Confederation of Park Home Residents Associations – and the Housing Minister in the Scottish Government, and this work is
ongoing. We have to see greater protections for those buying these homes."
