Tenants from Peterborough's residential parks rally at Westminster to demand MPs act to ensure 'fair' rent increases

Occupants of homes on residential parks in Peterborough have marched on Westminster to demand fair increases in their ground rents.

There are currently estimated to be more than 1,000 people living on eight residential parks across the city and the majority of them are pensioners.

Many have teamed up with their counterparts across the UK to rally at the Houses of Parliament and met with MPs in the Palace of Westminster to urge the passing of emergency legislation to change the way ground rents are calculated - something they say the Government promised to do four years ago.

They are angry that park landlords are allowed to use the higher RPI rate of inflation as the gauge for increases in monthly ground rents instead of the lower CPI rate, which is used to calculate pension rises.

Currently, the Retail Price Index (RPI) rate of inflation stands at 14.2 per cent while the Consumer Price Inflation rate (CPI) rate is 12.9 per cent.

Roz Elliott, secretary of the Keys Park Residents Association, in Parnwell Way, and the United Peterborough Park Home Association, said: “Our pensions only rise by CPI and yet the government expects us to pay pitch fee increases which have been calculated by linking to the higher rate of RPI.

“This index is rising daily and without emergency fast track legislation to honour the government’s promise, many park home owners will suffer a cold miserable fate that could even end in death – unless they sell up.

“The only winners are the site owners.”