Russell Bennett, in a wheelchair, plans to obstruct bulldozers at Mount Pleasant caravan park to fight eviction. Residents face displacement.
Russell Bennett lives at Mount Pleasant park in Hurn on Matchams Lane; he has lived there for nine years. He is a pensioner facing eviction after the owners announced that residents must leave to build chalet bungalows, each costing over £300,000. Around sixty residents received eviction notices with a deadline of February 28th.
Russell does not want to live in a council flat, fearing for his health and well-being. Neighbors at the caravan park offer support, checking on him multiple times daily with tea, food, or by calling a doctor. He worries that in a flat, no one would care, and he could be dead for days before discovery.
Russell plans to block the bulldozers by putting his scooter in their path, and others will join him in protest. They plan to fight the eviction.
Jasmine Mason, a domestic abuse survivor, also lives at the site and felt safe there after a bad council home experience. She loves the supportive community and fears eviction because her rent is £400 monthly and area rents are too high for her to manage, plus she has trouble finding a place for her dog.
Peter Dunn owned the site for over 30 years. After his death, Royale Life, specializing in bungalows, bought it but went bankrupt in 2023. Regency Living acquired the site later and now seeks to develop Mount Pleasant.
Residents say the council ignores their pleas, arguing that the site was not intended for year-round living.
Tony Cameron, a 25-year resident fighting the eviction, has a letter from 2017 allowing year-round use for touring caravans. He questions building park homes instead of houses, and his wife’s health has suffered due to the eviction notice, requiring antidepressants.
Regency Living states the site is for holiday use and needs major upgrades for permanent residents.
Nick Vernon, an army vet who lived there 18 years, believes the site was deliberately neglected after Royale Life took over to force residents out. He does not know where he will go and doubts the council will assist him.
Robert Palfrey is “absolutely devastated,” having enjoyed his retirement there. He says evicting so many residents is foolish and will burden the council.