Caravan Site Registration

The Caravan and Control of Development Act 1960 prohibits the use of land as a caravan site unless the occupier holds a site licence issued by the Local Authority.

There are some exceptions (where a licence is not required):

• a caravan sited with the curtilage of a dwelling and its use is incidental to the dwelling. This means it cannot be occupied separately.
• a single caravan sited for not more than two consecutive nights for a maximum of 28 days in any 12 months.
• up to three caravans on a site of not less than five acres for a maximum of 28 days in any 12 months.
• sites occupied by exempted organisations such as The Caravan Club.
• sites of up to five caravans certified by an exempt organisation and which are for members only.
• sites occupied by the local authority. These are usually gypsy sites.
• sites for temporary and special purposes. Caravan rallies, agricultural and forestry workers, building and engineering sites, for example.
• a site for tents only can be used for a maximum of 28 days in any 12 months.

Checklist

This checklist will help you to be ready for when you want to obtain a Caravan Licence:

1. Complete application

2. Planning permission (If you are a potential site occupier, you or your legal advisor should check that all the land used for siting caravans has planning permission and that the details correspond with the site licence. If you wish to change the use of the land to a permanent caravan site use you must have planning permission before a licence can be issued.)

3. Scale plan of the site (An application must be completed and accompanied by a site plan at 1:500 scale showing the layout of roads, caravans and facilities)

 

Additionally

From 1 October 2021, unless the site is exempt from doing so, the site owner must:

• be a fit and proper person to lawfully operate a park home site, or
• have a fit and proper site manager in place

Please see ‘Fit and Proper Person’ section of this page for further information and application details.

Applications can be made online

Registration is free.  

There is a 28-day consultation period. Following the end of this period, we aim to issue within 14 days.

You Can Apply Online

Application for a Caravan Site

Transfer a Caravan Site

Licences are transferable to a new occupier but the law requires the Local Authority to give consent for the transfer. You should send in the licence with a request for transfer and the Council will either endorse or re-issue it.

Once a registration is in place it remains valid until such time that it is surrendered or alterations to the site deem it to be no longer valid.

Licences have conditions which include:

 

the type of caravan, e.g. residential, static holiday or touring.

the permitted density (the number per acre/hectare) and the spacing between caravans.

water supply and drainage; lavatory and washing facilities.

fire precautions and electrical installations.

If you are a caravan site occupier you should have a licence already but you should check that your name, the site name and address is correct and up to date. Also check that the licence corresponds with your planning permission. If not, you should send us the licence for re-issue.

From 1 October 2021, unless the site is exempt, the site owner must:

be a fit and proper person to lawfully operate a park home site, or

have a fit and proper site manager in place

Sites that are exempt:

A site is exempt if it's "a non-commercial family occupied site". This is one:

• only occupied by members of the same family, and
• not being run on a commercial basis

The regulations provide further detail about this exemption, see https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1034/contents/made for more details.

A site owner may only apply if they hold or have applied for a site licence for the site.

Checklist

1. Complete application form
2. The applicant seeking entry on the register will need a basic DBS certificate (dated no more than 6 months before the date of the application) and this must be included with the application. The DBS certificate must be from an approved supplier.  Information about how to arrange a DBS check can be found on the Government's web site: https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record
3. Provide proof of right to work in the UK.

Send completed application and supporting documents to the licensing department.

There is no fee.

There is a 21 day consultation period. After this period has ended, we aim to issue within 14 days.

Fit and Proper Person Application

To be satisfied that the relevant person is a fit and proper person to manage the site, and to add them to the register, we will consider:

• past compliance with the site licence
• the long term maintenance of the site
• whether the relevant person has sufficient level of competence to manage the site
• the management structure and funding arrangements for the site or proposed management structure and funding arrangements

 

We will also consider whether the relevant person:

• has the right to work within the UK
• has committed any offence involving fraud or other dishonesty, violence, arson or drugs or listed in Schedule 3 to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (offences attracting notification requirements)
• has contravened any provision of the law relating to housing, caravan sites, mobile homes, public health, planning or environmental health or of landlord and tenant law
• has contravened any provision of the Equality Act 2010 in, or in connection with, the carrying on of any business
• has harassed any person in, or in connection with, the carrying on of any business
• has had an application rejected by any other local authority
• is, or has been within the past 10 years, personally insolvent
• is, or has been within the last 10 years, disqualified from acting as a company director
• We may also consider the conduct of any person associated or formerly associated with the relevant person (whether on a personal, work or other basis), if it appears that person's conduct is relevant.

• We may also consider any evidence on any other relevant matters.

 

Caravan Site Fit and Proper Person Register August 2023