Council sued over caravan licence row

The brothers claim they lost 11 years worth of trade

The owners of a caravan park are suing a north Wales council for £2.75m - and the island's taxpayers may have to foot the bill.

Brothers Gordon and David Pritchard claim Anglesey Council prevented them operating the business at Amlwch between 1979 and 2000 even though they were lawfully entitled to do so.

I think it's been disgusting the way they've treated this case over the years

Gordon Pritchard

Their father had run the Glanaber Caravan Park from 1963, but the authority refused to give the brothers a licence when they took over the running of the site in 1979.

The council claimed it had served an enforcement notice preventing the brothers from using the site.

However, in December 2000, a Welsh Office planning inspector decided the Pritchards had had planning permission all along to put 26 static caravans on the site.

Gordon Pritchard is angry at the council's attitude

Gordon Pritchard accused the council of ignoring all their legal moves to re-open the caravan park.

"I think it's been disgusting the way they've treated this case over the years," he said.

"It's been non-cooperation, obstruction, delay ...frustrating our attempts to trade over the years.

"It's been terrible."

At a preliminary court hearing into the brothers' claim in March, a barrister acting for Anglesey Council admitted that the enforcement notice did not in fact exist.

The council has vowed to fight the case

Gordon Pritchard has also received a letter from the council's insurers saying it was not a matter for which the council was entitled to an indemnity.

The leader of the council's Labour group, John Chorlton, has called for an internal inquiry into the matter.

He said he was extremely worried that money may have to be taken from the authority's balances, if the insurers refuse to pay any costs that arise from the case.

In a statement on Tuesday, the council said it would defend the case in court, and as a result was unable to make any further comment.