Mobile home owners in Portsmouth call for end to 10 per cent city council charge when they sell their homes

Agreed last month, the charge would see the council take 10 per cent of the proceeds of homes sold at Cliffdale Gardens in Cosham and Henderson Park in Eastney

The council said the fee, which would raise an estimated £50,000 a year, was 'normal industry practice' and enforced by the likes of Gosport and Basingstoke councils and that all existing residents would be exempt.

But the move has angered the owners of the 115 homes who described it as 'daylight robbery' and said even with the exemption they would be affected through potential buyers being put off.

Dozens gathered outside the Guildhall before Tuesday's full council meeting to protest the charge.

Claire Bennett, who is in the process of selling her £175,000 Henderson Park home so she can move to Spain to care of her ill father, said the council 'was not entitled' to take £17,500 of the proceeds.

'The council has given us nothing but grief,' she said. 'We pay ground rent and get nothing in return and now - without even telling us - they are trying to steal 10 per cent of the value of people's homes.

'You would not ask someone selling their home to give you 10 per cent of it. It is disgraceful that this is imposed on us.'

The council previously introduced the charge in 2007 - having had a similar requirement until the mid-90s - before U-turning two years later in the face of widespread opposition and repaying the money it had taken.

Conservative Cosham ward councillor Hannah Brent said the decision to include it in this year's budget was 'immoral'.

'Losing 10 per cent will have a massive impact,' she said. 'It will affect people's ability to move into new housing or residential care.

'They tried to do this before and got rid of it for being "morally wrong" and yet it's been brought back - nothing has changed since then.'

The charge was included in the budget agreed between the Lib Dem, Labour and Progressive Portsmouth People Group groups last month, despite opposition from Conservative councillors.

Labour said it was now working to 'reverse' its introduction, saying it shared the concerns raised by people living at the two sites.

Group deputy leader Cal Corkery said Labour councillors were unaware of the issue until it was raised by during the budget meeting and said they felt scrapping the charge was now 'the only just outcome'.

'This policy is an unfair imposition on owners who already pay pitch fees and council tax,' he said. 'We are calling on the council to scrap these new charges which would otherwise leave a number of residents facing financial hardship.'

But Lib Dem cabinet member for housing Darren Sanders said its introduction was justified and that the decision not to exempt existing home owners was the 'fairest' approach.

'All of the options we had had downsides,' he said. 'It's a case of balancing the financial needs and prudence of the council with the belief that people who have planned for their future on the assumption that there is no charge are not asked to pay.'