In Peterborough, we have various residential caravan and park home sites that are a popular choice for many people.
Owners or operators of caravan and park home residential sites must hold a licence by law. This licence must always be on display at the site.
Sites that provide permanent residential accommodation in the form of static mobile homes require planning permissions and a site licence. Planning permission and a site licence may also be needed for some holiday and touring caravan sites.
You can view a list of the licensed sites on our Mobile or Park Homes page.
Why the licensing scheme exists
The Mobile Homes Act 2013 introduced the scheme for licensing park home sites to:
- Ensure standards are regulated – e.g. distance between homes, safety and adequacy of services and facilities such as water supply, drainage, sewerage and electrical supply etc
- Make site owners and operators aware of their responsibilities
- Ensure protection for the rights of residents
- Allow councils to charge for licensing fees
The Mobile Homes Act 2013 also brought changes to the way park home sites are run and managed. The Act aims to ensure that:
- Sites are run efficiently and professionally
- Sites adhere to their licence and its conditions
- Residents’ health, safety and comfort are not compromised
- It is easier for residents wishing to sell their homes on the open market, without interference from site owner / operator
Eligibility criteria
Owners / operators of a site must be entitled to use the land as a caravan and / or camp site. We will not issue a licence if:
- The land does not have appropriate planning permission
- Owners / operators have had a site licence revoked within the last three years
Sites that require a licence
Most residential park home, camping and caravan sites require a licence from us. This includes the following types of sites:
- Mobile home parks / static caravans / touring caravan sites used for permanent occupation
- Holiday sites
- Mixed holiday / residential sites
- Camping sites
- Single mobile homes or caravans on land can be a caravan site even if it is lived in by the owner of the land. This means that family-owned and occupied sites not run for commercial gain still require a licence.
Sites exempt from licensing
- A caravan sited within 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
- Sites for temporary and special purposes such as caravan rallies, agricultural and forestry workers, building and engineering sites and travelling salespeople
Licence fees
The Mobile Homes Act allows us to charge fees for:
- New site licence applications
- Changes to existing site licences
- An annual licence fee
You can view the current fees on our Mobile or Park Homes page.
We also have a Park Homes Fee Policy which outlines:
- The fees to be paid by different sites
- The sites exempt from paying
We calculate each fee by the number of pitches available on site. I.e. the more pitches, the higher the fee.
Apply for a licence
Before you apply, please make sure you have read the guidance and information on this page. This is to assist you with the application requirements and process.
During the application process, we will also ask you to provide documents proving planning permission and a site plan. The site plan should be to a scale of no less than 1:500. Where appropriate, the site plan should show:
- Site boundaries
- Positions or caravan standings
- Roads and footpaths
- Recreation spaces
- Toilet blocks
- Stores and other buildings
- Fire points
- Foul and surface water drainage
- Parking spaces
- Water supply
Before determining an application, we will consult with colleagues in the Planning Service and any other related / appropriate authority service. We may also wish to inspect your premises before issuing a licence.
Site rules
The Mobile Homes Act requires site owners / operators to review their site rules and remove any rules that are banned under legislation.
The Act requires site owners/operators to review their site rules and remove any rules that are banned under the updated legislation.
Site owners / operators need to follow the guidance and establish a document that lists their new site rules and is also required to hold a consultation for a minimum of 28 days for all residents and resident associations to comment. After consultation, the agree site rules must be deposited with the council and copies will be available upon request.
The site owner may set site rules on residential caravan sites. The Council does not enforce these rules, although some rules may be a duplicate of the site licence conditions. The site rules are part of the contract between the home owner and site owner, and supplement the Mobile Homes Act Agreement.
We are required to keep and publish a register of site rules. We will update the register on the Mobile or Park Homes page when we are notified by site owners that rules are in force. The rules that appear on the Mobile or Park Homes page have been written by the site owners, and not Peterborough City Council.
View copies of site rules on our Mobile or Park Homes page.