Caravan owners at a Welsh holiday park say they are being forced to consider selling up after site fees soared by thousands of pounds. David, a mechanic from Caerphilly who did not want to give his surname, said his annual ground rent at Haven's Kiln Park in Tenby had risen to more than £9,000 for the 2023 season, up from £6,000 when he bought his caravan two years ago.
David, who visits with his four children every other weekend, described the increase as 'ridiculous' and said he was 'very close to selling'. He claimed the extra costs made it financially impossible to stay, adding: 'I believe it's another show of big companies taking advantage of the average working person.'
Another owner, Richard Morgan from Newport, said his site fees exceeded £8,500, and that the latest rise was 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. He said he had been told the increase was due to VAT returning to 20% after temporary pandemic reductions, but argued that did not justify the scale of the hike.
Morgan, who has owned a caravan at the park since 2014, said additional costs such as a £250 contribution towards upgrading the clubhouse had added to the burden. He confirmed his decision to sell, but noted that owners must give Kiln Park first refusal, potentially depressing resale values as many others also look to exit.
A Haven spokesperson said: 'Like many businesses, Haven is experiencing the effects of inflation and rising energy costs... the cost of running our parks has increased significantly. This means to maintain the quality of our parks and a high level of service for our valued holiday homeowners, site fees have increased by 11.8% in 2023.'
