Two men arrived in a silver van on a Monday morning this August and taped notices to caravan doors across Elham Valley Holiday Park. The message was blunt: residents were trespassing and had 14 days to leave.
For Mark Leutert, the 55-year-old caretaker who has lived and worked at the site for a decade, the notice meant losing everything at once. “I’ve lost my job and my home,” he said. “I haven’t eaten or slept since that letter arrived.”
Nineteen occupied caravans sit on the property between Canterbury and Folkestone. Some residents have been there 10 years. Many arrived homeless and used the address to get work. Now they face the prospect of returning to the streets.
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How a Kent Holiday Park Became Permanent Housing
The site opened in 2014 when William Smith converted land in the Kent Downs into a caravan park. Local residents opposed the development, worried it would become a traveller site. Smith sold the property two years later.
Goldpark Leisure, as the site is also known, operates under a lawful development certificate for touring caravans. But what started as a holiday park transformed into permanent housing for people with nowhere else to go.
The 19 caravans on the 46-pitch site brought in roughly ยฃ9,000 monthly in rent. Residents paid on time for years. Veterans, single mothers, people with chronic health conditions. All found stability here.
“All of these people aren’t here because it’s a huge joy to live in a caravan,” Leutert said. “They’re here because they have no way of financing a property.”
Company Collapse and Council Action Residents Never Knew About
The chain of events that led to the eviction notices started in December 2024. Yieldcom Limited, the company running the site, went into liquidation.
Residents only learned about the collapse in May 2025 when contractors showed up and removed equipment. The lawnmower disappeared. Nobody from the company responded to calls. With no forwarding address for rent payments, residents stopped sending money.
While this unfolded, Folkestone and Hythe District Council took separate action. On July 18, 2025, officials revoked the site license. The stated reasons: overcrowding, fire hazards, and refuse disposal issues.
Nobody told the residents.
Leutert disputes the council’s claims. “There are 46 pitches on this site and only 18 or 19 caravans, so how on earth they can say its overcrowded is beyond me,” he said. “I personally take everybody’s rubbish to the tip.”
When Yieldcom folded, receivers stepped in. FRP Advisory took control to sell the property and recover creditor funds. On August 12, 2025, the law firm Trethowans LLP delivered eviction notices on FRP’s behalf.
Vulnerable Residents Scramble for Options
Kaz Dines, 54, lives at the park with four dogs. Finding housing that accepts pets is difficult. Finding affordable housing that accepts four dogs is nearly impossible.
“It’s happened so quickly that we’re petrified,” Dines said. “We’ve got to find somewhere with our four dogs.”
Amanda Saunders has type 1 diabetes and COPD. The 53-year-old has been sleeping in her car since storms damaged her caravan. She now faces losing even this precarious shelter.
“Nobody down here causes problems,” Saunders said. “Everybody gets on. It is like just one big family. If someone’s got a problem, then someone else can help. I feel safe. Now my safe space is going to be gone.”
Reverend Stefan Thomas from Barham Downs with Adisham parish holds regular services at the site. He sees the situation as a reflection of how society treats its most vulnerable members.
“You’ve got people that are literally and metaphorically living at the edge of society,” Thomas said. “You’ve got broken people, vulnerable women. How do you evict them, and where do they go?”
What Comes Next for the Site and Its Residents
The property went up for sale with bids due by August 22, 2025. Folkestone and Hythe District Council confirmed a new owner could apply for a fresh license once the site meets compliance standards.
A council spokesman said residents received written information about advice agencies and homeless services. “We know the risk of homelessness can be stressful. Advice and assistance are available to all those who need it,” the spokesman said.
Contact information was provided for the council’s housing support line at 01303 853300.
Residents have sought legal advice. They say they won’t leave by the 14-day deadline stated in the notices.
Dines described what the community means to residents who’ve struggled to find acceptance elsewhere. “The main thing is the support network that we give each other,” she said. “We welcome anybody in need. We’ve had guys in tents with nothing. It’s getting people back on their feet slowly.”
Leutert, who dedicated 10 years to maintaining the site and helping residents, summed up the anxiety many feel. “We haven’t got anywhere to go. That’s why we’re here. Just imagine what would happen if all of a sudden 19 caravans had to hit the road. What would we do? Just park all up the street?”
For now, 19 families wait to learn whether the caravan park that gave them a second chance will force them back to square one.
