Caravan site owner fined for dangerous conditions

Wealden District Council officers visited Honeys Green in November 2024, a time when the site should have been closed.

On the site visit, officers from the council found many people living in old holiday caravans and tents, paying rent to the site manager. The conditions were dangerous  with trailing electrical cables outdoors from damaged hook up points into individual vehicles and tents, electrical hook up points without protection from the wet weather, fire risk from untreated timber cladding and skirting on caravans, trees and hedges overhanging the caravans, a caravan filled with discarded soft furnishings, out of date fire extinguishers, discharge of dirty water into the local stream, rotten wooden play equipment and no gas safety certification for the gas boilers in each of the caravans.

Enforcement notices were issued. The owner, Mrs S Lavender, pleaded guilty to two offences under Health and Safety and one offence under caravan site licensing laws

The magistrates accepted Mrs Lavender’s early guilty plea and fined her £17,000 plus £1000 surcharge and £2,024.80 costs to Wealden District Council.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat) and lead councillor for Public Health and Asset Management, said, “Caravan sites should be an asset to our beautiful district, providing safe and happy holidays. This case is a clear message to all caravan and camp site owners, we will not tolerate dangerous conditions, nor abuse of the caravan licensing laws.”