How to respond to the site rules consultation

SITE RULES CONSULTATION
Currently, everyone on site is governed by the same rules - even if you’ve lived on site for bazillions of years. When the Mobile Homes Act 2013 kicked in, it wiped the slate clean. All previous rules were scrapped and replaced. So, no matter when you moved in, the only ones that count now are the ones deposited with Basildon Council.

What Is Changing?
Regency is proposing a new set of site rules. This is quite normal but they must follow a legal process:

Consultation: Residents must be invited to give feedback.
Review: Regency must consider all comments and may remove rules that are strongly opposed.
Summary: A summary of responses and any changes must be sent to all residents.

What Should You Do?
This consultation is for individual residents. Everyone has their own views, so it is important that you respond personally. We have reviewed the proposed rules and most of them are standard. Many simply reflect legal site licence conditions, such as rules about sheds, fences, hedges, and spacing between homes. These are legal requirements and cannot be removed whether you like them or not. However, one proposed change has caused serious concern and we had no idea they were going to slip this in.

Rule 30: Pets on Site
This rule would change Dunton Park from a no-pets site to one that allows up to two dogs or cats per household.

This is the most controversial proposal so far. Many residents are worried about noise, mess, and disruption. The site has had a no-pets policy (except for registered assistance dogs) for many years, and most residents want to keep it that way.

If you do not want pets on site, you must say so clearly in your response. If you stay silent, Regency may assume you support the change.

Some residents have said they would be happy with cats but not dogs. However, we cannot rewrite the rules to suit individual preferences. We must respond to what is actually proposed. If you want to avoid unintended consequences, such as a site full of barking dogs, the safest option is to object to Rule 30 in full. If you respond with "I am fine with cats," that may be taken as support for the entire rule, including dogs.

How to respond:

Just fill in the slip tucked inside your consultation pack. We did ask if responses could be emailed (because, you know, 2025), but they said no. They're actually not allowed to restrict how we reply - so that’s another black mark for the company who're currently collecting black marks like Tesco Clubcard points.

If you need more space, attach an extra sheet and hand it to Sue at the office.

Take a photo of your submission for your records.

Deadline: 5.00 pm on Monday 24 November.

Need Help?
We are holding a drop-in session at the hall:
Friday 7 November, 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm
Residents can have a 5min one-to-one with James or Gary to ask questions or get help with their response.
Please arrive at staggered times to avoid queues. If everyone arrives at 2.00 pm, there may be a wait.

If you cannot attend or prefer to jump the queue, you can email, [email protected]
You can ask about any of the proposed rules and we will reply with guidance.

What Happens Next?
After the deadline, Regency will (should):

• Review all feedback.
• Remove any rules that receive strong opposition.
• Send a final version of the rules to all residents.
• Submit the final version to the council (unless a tribunal challenge is made).

If you still disagree with the final version, you can apply to the tribunal. This must be done by individual residents within 21 working days of Regency issuing the final rules. The Residents Association cannot apply on your behalf.

If a rule is challenged at tribunal, it cannot be enforced until a decision is made. Until then, the current rules remain in place.
Please note: there are only limited legal grounds for challenging a rule. If you are unsure, we can help explain what those are.