A community of elderly people have lost a battle to stay in their park homes year-round - despite claims they were told they could live there permanently.

Occupants of Beverley Park on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent say they bought the properties on the understanding they could stay there 12 months a year.

However, in reality, they only had permission for 10 months.

The residents had sought permission for the change of use from a holiday park to the siting of 21 residential retirement park homes for use for 12 months.

But this request was refused earlier this month - leaving them gutted.

Those living in Beverley Park argue they are not disruptive tourists, with the majority of occupants aged between 75 and 97.

Wendy Benton, 75, has lived on the site for seven years with her husband, 77-year-old Kenneth, and their cat Jesse after moving from Thamesmead upon their retirement.

The mum-of-five said: "We bought our home in December 2016 and moved on here in March 2017."

"What we didn't realise was that the planning decision to make it 12 months had been denied."

At a planning meeting earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Beverley Park Action Group explained why year-long residency should be allowed at the site.

He said: "A refusal would have significant adverse personal and financial implications for the occupants of the homes on the site."

"This is a system that is working and the applicants are asking to legitimise the situation that has already developed through no fault of their own, who may well have been the victims of some serious miselling in the first place."

"If you chuck them out for two months they've got nowhere else to go, it is just going to place more emphasis and more hardship on other council issues."

Wendy explained she and her neighbours have been paying council tax, voluntarily, for the properties since April 2022.

She added: "We felt if we were to be believed and taken seriously about everything we were fighting we had to be absolutely legal."

"So we started paying our council tax, and everything like our banks, driving licences, doctors, everything has our Beverley Park address on, we're even on the electoral roll."

But a legal aide at the meeting explained: "Just because the residents pay 12 months council tax the council doesn't have an obligation to give them planning permission."

The site was originally a caravan park which was granted 10 months of holiday use with a planning application in 2011.

Holiday parks on the island hold 10-month residencies as the local council says it "allows relief to local residents from tourism noise, disturbance and other amenity concerns for two months of the year."

However, in their application statement, residents say that they believed Beverley Park was not for holiday use and they say this was made very clear to each of them at the time of purchase.

The statement continues to say that in 2015 the park was transformed with residential park homes, which were purchased as lifetime homes made with the promise - from the then owner of the park - that a positive application had been made and planning was imminent.

Recently the park was bought by Cosgrove Leisure Parks, which had no involvement with the alleged misselling.

Councillors expressed their concern for the residents but acknowledged their current living predicament did go against the borough's policies.

Cllr James Hunt, a Conservative for the Meads, said: "It is difficult. We'd love to say no problem, stay there because we know the implication this will have on the residents there but in planning terms, and policies, the officer has got the right recommendation."

"It is a shame it has come to this and that the residents have been missold [by the previous owner]."

The application was refused not only to "provide relief to local residents" but also because "the site represents an unsustainable location for permanent year-round residential use by virtue of its remote location within the countryside"."

A Swale council spokesman said the authority is considering next steps in due course.

Although the application was refused it was confirmed at the meeting that the 10-month residency is not being enforced.

Cllr Tara Noe, (Con) for Sheppey East, said: "This is a tight-knit community of vulnerable, elderly people."

"The committee showed great sympathy, as have many before them. No one wants to force these pensioners out. While safe from enforcement today, though, they cannot rest easy."

"They haven't the rights that come with residential status and will live in perpetual fear of what's around the corner."

Wendy added: "We will be remaining on site all year round while we appeal the decision."