Caravan site licensing (caravans and tents)

Caravan site licensing (caravans and tents)

Caravan site licences (caravans and tents)

There are three main types of caravan site licence:

• permanent residential
• holiday static (seasonal)
• touring

Permanent residential site

• the licence holder owns the site and mobile home owners lease a pitch. Some sites have mobile homes to rent as well
• there is a fee for permanent residential caravan sites. The fee depends on the number of units on the site
• a £57 Park Rules deposit must be paid to us

For additional fees see page 7 of Appendix D of our fee and charging schedule.

Holiday static caravan site

• some have individually owned static caravans for use solely by caravan owners, and some have static caravans available for rent
• a licence for a holiday caravan site is free
• seasonal static licence conditions apply

Holiday touring site

• a site that is licensed for touring units such as caravans, camper vans, motor homes and tents
• a licence for a touring caravan site is free
• touring site conditions apply

Apply for a caravan site licence

To apply for a caravan site licence, you need to complete the following steps:

• email [email protected] to confirm if you need planning permission
• if you are applying for a permanent residential caravan site licence, there will be a fee. Calculate your fee using the fee and charging schedule
• you will need to include details of waste disposal and tell us the number of caravans proposed to be on the site at any one time
• attach a layout plan of the proposed site. This can be a photograph or a scan, and must show all of the features required by the licence conditions. Please email your local office (see email addresses above) if you require more details

For conditions and how to apply please contact your local office:

• Daventry area: [email protected]
• Northampton area: [email protected]
• South Northamptonshire area: [email protected]

Application for inclusion on the Fit and Proper Person Register

Site owners will need to make an application for us to assess if the person or company managing the caravan site is Fit and Proper.

There is currently no fee for lodging an application however you will be required to pay £23.00 to the Disclosure and Baring Service for a Basic DBS check.

You will need this before you can apply. We will accept the digital version of this certificate which is available instantly once you have applied.

If the application is approved, the site manager will be added to the register of Fit and Proper Persons for up to 5 years.

We will be checking that the site manager:

• is suitable to manage the site, for example they have relevant financial and managerial experience
• has not committed any offences involving:
  • fraud or other dishonesty
  • violence
  • arson
  • drugs
  • certain sexual offences
• has complied with relevant legislation relating to housing, caravan sites, mobile homes, public health, planning, environmental health or landlord and tenant law
• has not broken the Equality Act 2010
• has not been insolvent or disqualified from being a company director within the last 10 years
• has the right to work in the UK
• is a member of a complaints scheme which deals with complaints about the management of the site

We will publish the following information on our public register:

• the site manager’s name
• the site manager’s business contact details
• the site name and address
• whether the applicant is a site owner or site manager
• any conditions attached to the inclusion
• how long they are to be included in the register
• rejected application information (until we grant a successful application for the site)

We will not include the site manager’s name if we reject the application.

If the application is approved, the site manager will be added to the register of Fit and Proper Persons for up to 5 years.

You will be committing a criminal offence if you:

• do not apply for a licence
• provide false or misleading information or withhold information from the application
• fail to comply with a condition in the register

If convicted the site owner could face an unlimited fine.

Please contact your local office for a fit and proper person application.

Transfer a licence

If a site licence holder ceases to be the occupier of the land, they may, with our consent, transfer the licence to the person who becomes the occupier of the land. The new owner needs to apply for the transfer.

In the case of permanent residential sites, there is a charge and we carry out checks before granting the transfer.

To apply for a site transfer, please email your local office using addresses above.

Appeal against a decision

We may attach to a licence such conditions as we feel fit with respect to the use of the site. We issue different conditions for different sites. Please check the government's Model Standards document for guidance.

An applicant has the right to appeal against conditions attached to a site licence. An appeal must be made to the magistrates' court within 28 days of the licence being issued.

We may, at any time, change, cancel or vary the licence conditions. Before doing so, the licence holder will be given an opportunity to make representations. No alteration becomes effective until written notification has been received by the licence holder.

Offences and penalties

Our officers have the right to enter, at all reasonable hours, land which is used as a caravan site or in respect of an application for a site licence has been made.

It is an offence for a site licence holder to fail to comply with any conditions attached to the licence. If we are satisfied that a breach of a condition under a site licence has occurred, in the first instance we would serve a compliance notice. If the notice is not complied with we can instigate proceedings in the Magistrates' Court.

If, after having been convicted of breaching site licence condition(s) on three or more occasions, a site licence holder continues to break conditions of the licence, the local authority may, instead of instigating further proceedings, apply to the Magistrates' Court to have their licence revoked.

Where revocation is ordered, another licence may not be issued in respect of land to the same holder for at least three years.

Last updated 18 March 2024