 Willow Wood (West Lothian) Community Company | sitemap | log in
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WILLOW WOOD RESIDENTIAL PARK STONEYBURN, WEST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND Willow Wood Residential Park is situated in rural West Lothian at Cuthill Brae, near the villages of Stoneyburn and West Calder. This high quality park home estate, established in 2004, now hosts 41 homes and some 65 residents who have all chosen the park home life style for its sense of community, security and quality of life in a rural setting. An early action was to establish a residents association, Willow Wood Residents Association. The Association's original intention was to further social activity among the residents but it quickly became obvious that in dealing with the park home owners there would be strength in numbers. Development and improvement of the park was not always a high priority for the landowners and the association concluded that self determination through community ownership was the only real route to sustainable development.
COMMUNITY RIGHT TO BUY
In 2006, the Residents Association resolved to seek registration of a Community Right to Buy (CRtB) under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and spun off the community company to facilitate the registration. Registration was granted in 2007 and in 2010 the Company negotiated through CRtB to bring the park into community ownership.
A concerted campaign for community ownership failed in November 2011 when the community was unable to raise the asking price for the park of £1.15M. Despite this setback the residents resolved to continue to strive to develop the park as a cohesive community.
A BROADER AGENDA
On a broader front, our Directors have been busy pursuing a political agenda and lobbying for changes in Park Home legislation in Scotland. Accordingly we welcomed the efforts by the Minister for Housing and Communities in the last Scottish Government, Mr. Alex Neil, MSP, to change existing legislation which will strengthen the hand of park home residents against rogue owners. See 'New Hope for Park Home Residents"
On 5 May 2011, the people of Scotland elected a new parliament for five years. This parliament will be dominated by the Scottish National Party who also formed the previous government and have formed a new administration for 2011-2016. Our local member, Angela Constance, who played a major part in bringing forward the proposed changes to the law assures us that the SNP administration will proceed with these changes in the new session. See Angela's message to Willow Wood May 2011 in our Library section
This website will keep our members and you up to date on proceedings and developments as we pursue the 'park home' lifestyle.
CONSULTATIONS ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO PARK HOME LAW IN SCOTLAND
Willow Wood supports PHLAGS, an action group that works to raise the profile of residential park home living here in Scotland and which is already accomplishing this at the highest levels of the Scottish Government and Scottish Local Government. PHLAGS activities have led to a commitment from Scottish Ministers to review and amend the law in Scotland to improve the lot of park home residents. These legislative change proposals are already well advanced and the Scottish Government recently sought views on their proposals.
The consultation closed in March 2011 but the consultation questions can still be accessed direct at the Scottish Government Consultation Website:
We have provided our own detailed response to the consultation in the LIBRARY section on this website. You can also access the response by clicking HERE .
IF YOU ARE A PARK HOME RESIDENT IN SCOTLAND WHY NOT HAVE YOUR SAY ON PARK HOME LIVING THROUGH OUR GUEST BOOK PAGE? YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.
For our latest news check the 'News' section regularly.
See the Willow Wood pictures below and in our galleries
Check out a Facebook page on park home living - www.facebook.com/iliveinaparkhome
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