A Lake District holiday park boss is urging the Government to axe planned Inheritance Tax changes.
Henry Wild, who runs Skelwith Fold caravan park in Ambleside has called on MPs attending this week’s Labour Party conference to urgently reconsider the proposed changes.
Mr Wild said he believed that owners of Cumbrian holiday parks like him could be forced to sell up in order to meet the tax demands, resulting in the loss of jobs and tourism income for the region.
Labour’s Liverpool conference, he said, would be a perfect opportunity for MPs to examine a recent report by CBI Economics.
It said that the impact of Inheritance Tax changes on the parks industry will cost the economy more than £130m and lead to 3,000 job losses.
The survey was commissioned by the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, of which Mr Wild is a former national chairman.
The report added that many UK camping and holiday parks were already being severely impacted by Government changes to business Inheritance Tax rules.
He said: “It is vital the Government uses its conference to re-examine the business case for this change and considers the true economic impact it will have.
“Large numbers of parks are already reconsidering their futures despite offering a popular, much-loved and sustainable way for people to enjoy a UK holiday.
“Parks contribute so much to the social and economic wellbeing of local communities, and it would be a tragedy if they were forced to close as an unintended consequence of this change.”
