Permanent residents living on family run campsite told they must leave

Permanent residents living on a family run campsite near Wincanton have been told they must leave.

South Somerset District Council has refused planning permission for the low cost housing on Sunnyhill Park and Campsite because it considers the homes unsustainable.

They have now served an enforcement notice which means the campsite could be left with empty mobile homes, and would no longer be able to help those in need.

For single mum Ruth, who lost her job and her home last July, being offered a home on the campsite became a lifeline.

She ended up living in a tent with her two children because she couldn't afford to rent, and any temporary accommodation offered to her was too far away from her children's schools.

She was offered one of the mobile homes and as a result, she says she has been able to find a job and keep both her children at school.

Ruth says there is a lack of affordable housing in South Somerset and since registering with a housing association, it has taken six months to find somewhere suitable despite being considered a priority.