The owner of a caravan site has been fined £17,000 for "dangerous conditions" and illegal operating.
Wealden District Council officers visited Honeys Green Caravan Park, near Uckfield, in November 2024 - a time when the site should have been closed, according to the terms of its licence.
Officers discovered holiday caravans and tents being illegally occupied as year-round residences.
These dwellings, rented from the site manager, were found to be in "dangerous" conditions.
The officers discovered multiple safety hazards, including trailing electrical cables from damaged hook-up points, unprotected electrical points exposed to wet weather, and untreated timber cladding and skirting on caravans posing a fire risk.
Trees and hedges were overhanging the caravans, a caravan was filled with discarded soft furnishings, and fire extinguishers were out of date.
There was a discharge of dirty water into the local stream, rotten wooden play equipment, and no gas safety certification for the gas boilers in each caravan.
The park owner, Susan Lavender, of Forest Lane, Punnetts Town, was issued with enforcement notices.
She pleaded guilty to two offences under health and safety regulations and one offence under caravan site licensing laws.
The magistrates, taking into consideration Mrs Lavender's early guilty plea, fined her £17,000.
She was also ordered to pay a £1,000 surcharge and £2,024.80 costs to Wealden District Council.
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Councillor Kelvin Williams, lead councillor for Public Health and Asset Management, said: "Caravan sites should be an asset to our beautiful district, providing safe and happy holidays.
"This case is a clear message to all caravan and camp site owners, we will not tolerate dangerous conditions, nor abuse of the caravan licensing laws."
Honeys Green Caravan Park, situated in Easons Green near Uckfield, is a rural park that offers pitches for touring caravans and tents, as well as static caravans for hire.
The site, set on a farm, features amenities such as toilets, showers, and an on-site coarse fishing lake.
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