Caravan owners in Suffolk feel "undervalued and side lined" after they say two "in-person" workshops to discuss the future of their harbour site were cancelled.

Diane Perry-Yates, chair of Southwold Caravan Owners Association (SCOA), said her group's members were only given three days notice that the workshops on October 5 and 12 had been cancelled.

The sessions were being arranged by engineering consultants Greyfriars Project Management on behalf of East Suffolk Council to discuss the redevelopment of the Southwold Harbour camping and caravan site.

READ MORE: East Suffolk Council exercise slammed by Southwold owners

However, a council spokesperson said the workshops were being moved online instead because only "a small number" of people - there were eight responses - had registered for the in-person sessions.

The council has outlined four potential future operating models for the site as part of its Southwold Harbour Vision 2035 and Static Caravan Revitalisation Project.

These include continuing with the current licence model for caravans, changing to a 20-year lease, adopting a mixed leasing and renting model, or opting for "dynamic renting" focused on short term lets.

However, the caravan owners, represented by SCOA, fear they will be "displaced" by the council's plans and have said a 20-year lease would be too long for them.

READ MORE: Caravan owners at Southwold unhappy with East Suffolk plans

Ms Perry-Yates said an earlier consultation had failed to take into account the views of 164 caravan owners and the council had therefore promised a second consultation in the summer, which "never happened".

She added "to further compound concerns" the council only gave two weeks notice that the workshops would be going ahead, which gave the caravan owners insufficient time to plan and prepare their attendance, while the chosen venue for the workshops was "inaccessible".

Subsequently, SCOA members received an email saying the workshops had been cancelled, Ms Perry-Yates said, with three days notice.

She added Greyfriars instead said the workshops would be held online, despite the engineering consultants earlier assertions that an online format "was not feasible".

She said: "Two workshops to be held on October 5 and 12 by East Suffolk Council have been cancelled with only three days’ notice leaving SCOA members feeling undervalued and side lined once again.

READ MORE: 'Considerable improvement' needed to Southwold Harbour site

"Serious concerns were raised by SCOA over accessibility issues and lack of key information on the future of the site without which caravan owners are unable to make any decision on their future."

However, the council spokesperson said: “As SCOA themselves have acknowledged, the workshops have not been cancelled; instead, they have been transitioned to an online format which will ensure that as many people as possible can attend.

“This decision was taken after receiving only a small number of registrations for the in-person sessions, with only eight responses; prompting us to adapt the format to maximise accessibility and participation.

“This change aligns with a specific request from SCOA for virtual sessions to accommodate more members.

"We remain committed to ensuring that all stakeholders have the opportunity to participate fully and share their views on this important project.

“We look forward to engaging with the caravan owners and the broader community through these online workshops.”

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