Senedd Committee Highlights Park Homes Inequality Campaign
Written by Harry Turnbull
Residents of a Flintshire park homes site have won national backing in their fight for the right to install water meters.
Former first minister Vaughan Gething urged the Senedd petitions committee to write to the cabinet secretary and Welsh Water as part of a review of the industry across England and Wales.
The move follows a petition raised by Flintshire councillor Sam Swash (pictured above) on behalf of residents at Willow Park in Mancot, where monthly water bills soared to £68 after five million litres of water drained from corroded pipework and a drought compensation payout amounted to £1.32 per home while other domestic consumers were given up to £250 each.
Residents uncovered the scandal after secretly installing their own water meters, which showed their actual usage should have cost less than £20 a month. The meters revealed massive leakage on site, while Welsh Water and site owner Wyldecrest—owned by Britain’s richest gypsy, Alfie Best—argued over who was responsible for repairs.
The evidence forced Wyldecrest to finally carry out remedial work, as site infrastructure is their responsibility. However, residents at Willow Park now want individual water meters installed as standard to prevent future exploitation.
The committee heard that legislation protecting most domestic customers doesn’t apply to park homes sites.
Cllr Swash said “Currently, many site owners divide their total bill by the number of homes on the park, before passing the bill on to residents. This means there is no incentive for site owners to fix leaks, as they know residents will foot the bill regardless. The Welsh Government could stop this injustice by giving park home residents the right to a water meter.”
He also wants the injustice of compensation payment to be highlighted as part of any submissions to the White Paper on regulatory water reform across England and Wales.
Welsh Water has confirmed that park home residents, unlike almost every other household in Wales, have no right to ask for or receive a water meter, no matter how unfair or environmentally damaging their situation.
The committee was also told about stark inequalities when water disruptions occur. During a recent incident, local domestic customers received compensation of up to £250, while at Willow Park there was one payment to the account holder—meaning just £1.32 per household.
Evidence presented to the committee highlighted serious flaws in existing legislation. Ofwat, the water regulator, confirmed it has no power to resolve disputes regarding the resale of water, as these are considered private matters. This means when residents are overcharged, there’s no regulator able to intervene.
Ofwat also confirmed that while water companies can use legal powers where water is wasted, “this is not a legal requirement”—a fact that should concern both the committee and Welsh Government given the scale of leakage at Willow Park over several years.
Crucially, Ofwat has confirmed the UK and Welsh Governments will shortly publish a white paper on water industry reform, creating “an opportunity to amend existing legislation to better protect consumers and ensure fairer outcomes.”
