HOLIDAY park residents battling to save their homes near Beverley would suffer a "severe" impact on their lives if they were forced to leave, a public inquiry has been told.
The inquiry is hearing appeals against East Riding Council's refusal of consent for the 70 properties at Lakeminster Park, Woodmansey, to remain as permanent homes.
Human rights lawyer Ruth Stockley, representing park resident Alan Coates, told the inquiry residents invested their life savings in their Lakeminster homes for retirement.
She said: "At the time they purchased their park homes, they were unaware of the planning status of the site and that their permanent residential use of their park homes was in breach of planning control.
"There was nothing to indicate to them otherwise and indeed they all paid council tax to the council from the outset on the basis of their permanent residential use.
"The effects on those individuals of the loss of their homes will be severe. The impacts on their health and wellbeing, both physical and psychological, must be taken into account."
Ms Stockley said the impact on the residents' standard of living must also be considered.
She told the inquiry: "Their loss of a valued and specifically chosen lifestyle must be taken into account, namely the community spirit of the site."
Ms Stockley said it was "questionable" whether the council would have a duty to secure alternative accommodation for residents.
She told the inquiry: "The most likely alternative accommodation will be in the private rented sector, which is expensive, in short supply and very importantly will not offer a permanent solution.
"In any event, the availability of suitable alternative accommodation is extremely limited and will be a far cry from the accommodation and way of life such residents have chosen."
The council's barrister, Philip Engelman, urged the inspector to find in favour of the local authority, which is seeking to uphold planning control by requiring the removal of the park homes from the site.
He said the human rights of Mr Coates, whether they flowed from his right to a home or his right to property, "did not trump the council's right, on behalf of its council tax payers, to uphold planning control".
He claimed the great majority of the park residents did not support Mr Coates' appeal, which had been lodged on human rights grounds.
Mr Engelman said only 12 of the park residents had come forward to give evidence to the inquiry, which is being held at Beverley's County Hall.
He said: "The council will exercise its statutory obligations to assist any resident who find themselves without a home, if the inspector decides this case in its favour."
An inquiry last summer upheld the council's refusal of consent for the properties to remain as permanent homes.
But following a legal challenge by the park developer and resident Alan Coates, the Secretary of State accepted there had been an error in law over the issue of land supply and ordered the latest inquiry.
Separate to the inquiry, solicitors are pursuing civil claims totaling more than £5.5m on behalf of 59 of the residents who are at risk of losing their holiday park homes.
