A MOBILE home park site has been described as 'something out of Ukraine' following the 'destruction' of hedgerows, and claims of residents' gardens being churned up.
Buckinghamshire Council has confirmed to the Free Press it is investigating Nook Park, a residential park home estate in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, following a number of complaints from residents over suspected 'planning breaches'.
According to resident Andy Waller, most residents have been there a long time and most are fairly elderly, retired or have some form of disability.
In 2021, residents like Andy started reporting issues at the site with the Nook Park inspections listing several faults across the homes that needed to be fixed.
Other claims include garages being demolished in February 2022, leaving "hazardous asbestos waste and gas canisters" reportedly piled up on the site prompting fears of any fire risks.
READ THIS: Mobile home park site investigation launched over potential 'planning breach'
Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it issued an enforcement notice on the site in August 2022 ordering the waste to be cleared 'due to fire risks during the summer heatwave'.
Mr Waller said: "What going on there is awful for the people. The council are absolutely derelict in their duties.
"One resident called the police as this hedging was 12 feet thick established hedging, close to 100 years old, and it was devastating seeing diggers ripping it up.
"Everyone there has been impacted and it has changed beyond all belief. It's like something out of Ukraine it honestly is. There is no roads, and dirt everywhere. The older people are absolutely devasted and it's not fair on them, they simply don't have a voice in this because of their vulnerability and age.
"It's been a catalogue of errors."
Despite the concerns, Nook Park site owner Joe Burns explained how "everything has been done by the book" but said he understands why residents haven't been happy.
The site owner said: "You have to break eggs to make an omelette. The hedge hadn't been maintained for years and our intention is to plant a new hedgerow.
"This site has become a bit of a problem site, and we continue to give it all of our attention to get it to a happy conclusion and that the 12 residents are maintained."
When asked about the issues surrounding hazardous waste, Mr Burns added: "There was waste on site, it's not unusual when constructing to store waste.
"When we removed old garages they had asbestos which was removed and was stored. We have certificates for that and the removal of the gas container bottles, we had to wait for right contractor to come to the site so it was done correctly."
Buckinghamshire Council received numerous complaints from residents calling on the authority to carry out an investigation into the works at the site.
The authority has since issued an Article 4 Direction after the hedgerow, which formed a boundary next to the adjoining farmland, was illegally removed.
Mark Winn, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Regulatory Services said: “The situation at Nook Park is complex. Our officers have spent considerable time investigating all matters raised by the residents, including thoroughly examining which issues fall under the council’s jurisdiction that we can take action on.
"This has included seeking legal advice and undertaking site visits and meetings with the residents to hear their concerns. We have issued an Article 4 Direction at the site which removes permitted development rights in relation to fences, walls and other means of enclosure. This means that any fence, wall or means of enclosure will require planning permission.
"Separately, we have also issued a Hedgerow Replacement Notice, which means we require a hedgerow that has been removed at the site to be replaced.
"We are unable to comment in more detail on additional activity we are also undertaking as aspects of the case are still ongoing but we are keeping residents up to date with what is happening by both visiting and writing to them.”
Nook Park site owner Mr Burns added: "It's important to note, we took a site, went into construction and I appreciate residents werent happy.
"The outcome of the investigation is pending, nothing untoward has happened at the site and nine out of the 12 residents are happy."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel