A holiday company has applied for permission for caravan owners to stay on site from the same council which was trying to remove them.

Residents were ordered to leave Steeple Bay Holiday Park after flouting the rules and remaining on site longer than they are allowed to.

Under occupancy rules caravans cannot be lived in during weekdays from November until the end of February so people are only allowed to stay on the site during weekdays between March and October each year.

But Maldon District Council said many owners were still living in their caravans long after the deadline had passed and was considering enforcement action against them.

In November letters were sent out to caravan owners on the park at Canney Road, Steeple, stating enforcement action would be taken against those still occupying their caravans during weekdays.

Now management company, Park Holidays UK, wants the rules changed instead.

The company has applied to the council asking to extend the time owners can stay until November 30 each year.

In its application Park Holidays UK said it would be “for the benefit of its customers”.

It said: “The majority of holiday parks now enjoy an extended season as standard.

“The applicant will continue to operate the park as a holiday accommodation facility, but with the opportunity to better compete within the regional holiday caravan market and thereby offer a higher quality of caravan and facilities for holidaymakers.

“Planning permission has been obtained for extended holiday occupancy periods of up to 12 months over other holiday park properties within the applicants’ portfolio.”

The application will be decided at a planning meeting after the plans were called in by ward member Penny Channer.

A spokesman for Maldon District Council said: “The council served a breach of condition notice on Park Holidays, Steeple Bay Holiday Park on November 27 as they had been allowing the occupation of caravans on the site outside of the period permitted by the planning permission.

“The council also issued letters to owners of caravans on the site advising them that they must cease to occupy their caravans during the ‘closed’ period.”

A spokesman for Park Holidays UK said: “We are now in the process of formalising our site licence terms with Maldon District Council, and are hopeful that the issue will be resolved during the 2018 season.”