Caravan and camp site licences

The term caravan also includes motor homes, static holiday homes and residential park homes.

If you want to have a number of caravans on your land you will need to have planning permission and a Caravan Site Licence.

There are some exemptions. You do not need a licence if:

• Forestry workers, builders, travelling showmen or seasonal workers (like fruit pickers) stay in caravans on the site
• The site is five or more acres and there are three or fewer caravans there for 28 days or less a year
• You're a member of an organisation like a caravan club and have a caravan exemption certificate
• Your site is approved by an organisation with a caravan exemption certificate
• Members of an exempted organisation stay in their caravans on the site
• Your site is used for a social get-together of caravan club members (a 'rally')

If you want to have a number of tents pitched on your land you will need to have planning permission and a Camping Licence.

There are some exemptions. You do not need a licence if:

• Forestry workers, builders, travelling showmen or seasonal workers (like fruit pickers) stay in tents on the site
• The site is five or more acres and there are three or fewer tents there for 28 days or less a year
• You're a member of an organisation like the Scouts and have an exemption certificate
• Your site is approved by an organisation with a camping exemption certificate
• Members of an exempted organisation stay in their tents on the site

Once planning permission has been obtained you will be required to apply for a licence.

• Caravan Site Licence application form (PDF) [46KB] (opens new window)  

A fee is payable for the inspection and licensing of residential caravan sites (park homes). Please see the Mobile Homes Act section of our current Fees and charges document for full details.

As part of the application process you will be required to successfully apply for the Fit and Proper Person register which will expire after five years, and a new application will be required. 

Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person

The Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020 (hereafter 'the Regulations) prohibit the use of land as a residential mobile home site unless the local authority is satisfied that the owner or manager of the site is a fit and proper person to manage the site. 

The purpose of the fit and proper person test is to improve the standards of park (mobile) home site management.

What does this mean for site owners?

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

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

What must a site owner do?

Site owners operating a relevant site must apply (themselves or their appointed manager) to be included in the local register of fit and proper persons to manage a site.

Definition of exempt sites

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

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

What we consider

To be happy that the relevant person is a fit and proper person to manage the site, and to add them to the register, we 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 also consider whether the relevant person has:

• the right to work in the UK
• committed any offence involving fraud or other dishonesty, violence, arson, or drugs or listed in Schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (offences attracting notification requirements)
• 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
• contravened any provision of the Equality Act 2010 in, or in connection with, the carrying on of any business
• 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

Please note

It is an offence under the Regulations if a site owner provides false, misleading information, or withholds information from a registration application.

If you cannot fully complete the online application form nor provide the supporting documentation we cannot continue with the application.

Your licence will continue as long as:

• Your planning permission is valid
• You meet the conditions of your licence
• You pay all site inspection fees to the Council on time

We have the right to vary the conditions of your licence at any time.

You must notify us of any changes to the number of caravans or tents, site layout, facilities or change of operator.

You will need to resubmit an application form with details and the appropriate fee.

If you are applying to transfer the licence you must provide written consent from the current licensee.

We will investigate any complaints we receive about your site.

If you don't hold a valid licence or you breach the conditions we may:

• Prosecute you
• Withdraw your licence
• Make you carry out essential work or carry out the work and recharge our costs to you