Residential Caravan, Mobile, or Park Home Licence

The information on this page applies to:

• residential caravan/mobile home sites
• sites where there may be a mixture of permanent residential and temporary holiday pitches
• applying for a site licence
• applying for a ‘Fit and Proper Person Test’

Mobile Homes – site licensing

If you wish to place a caravan(s) on land for residential purposes, then in most cases you will need to apply for a caravan site licence.

If there is already a licence holder for the site, they will need to transfer the licence to you when they transfer the land.

You will also need planning permission for a residential site before you apply for a licence.

Exemptions

Some sites do not need a licence, for instance:

• agricultural and forestry workers
• building and engineering sites
• gypsy sites managed by county councils
• sites managed by the licensing authority
• use within curtilage of a house (if in connection with the house)

Apply

Please complete an application form to:

• apply for a residential caravan site licence,
• transfer one to a new owner or leaseholder, or
• alter the conditions attached to a current licence

To apply for a residential caravan site licence, or to transfer a licence, email env.health@molevalley.gov.uk for an application form.

What happens next?

Once we receive the application and all the information requested, we will discuss the licence process with you.

We will then inspect the site, and may consult with the fire service. Following the inspection, we will send you an invoice for the application fee, based on the number of units on the site when we inspected.

We normally make a decision within eight weeks of receiving a complete application (including all the supporting details, documents and the payment). However, some applications may take longer and we will discuss this with you.

Before issuing a new licence, we will usually consult with you by sending you the proposed licence conditions.

We allow a minimum of 14 days for you to comment before we issue the final licence.

You have the right to appeal to a First Tier Tribunal if you disagree with:

• a decision to refuse a licence application or a transfer application
• any conditions appended to a new application
• a decision to refuse to alter a condition
• a decision taken by the council to alter any existing condition of the licence

Please note; when a licence is transferred, the site licence conditions will remain unchanged.

Fees and charges

Fees and charges are made for:

• an application for a new licence
• an application to transfer the licence where ownership changes
• an annual fee for site inspection
• a fee for depositing site rules

Conditions

When we issue a licence there will be conditions attached. Conditions mainly cover health and safety areas such as:

• spacing
• fire safety
• parking
• roads
• supply and storage of gas
• electrical installations

Other considerations

We also have to consider the licence holders ability to manage and maintain the site.

Site licences are normally not time limited. However, where temporary planning permission is granted the licence will also be time limited.

There will need to be a new application to transfer the licence if the site is sold to a new owner.

A variation to the licence will need to be made if there are changes such as additional pitches.

Register of residential caravan, mobile or park home sites

View the Register of Licensed Mobile Home Sites.

Site rules

Site rules are part of the contract between the homeowner and site owner, and supplement the Mobile Homes Act Agreement.

We do not enforce these rules, but we are required to publish site rules for licensed sites.

Fit and Proper Person licence

Site owners must:

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

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

Exempt sites

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

See the GOV.UK – legislation website for more details.

The charge is £433.45 per application.

Where applicable, the fit & proper person annual fee is £121.37, this fee is also applicable when an application is received by the Council to add a further person onto the register, or when an existing person is to be replaced by someone else.

The application relates to the person and the fee is the same regardless of the number of homes on a site.

The public Fit and Proper Register for residential caravan sites in Mole Valley: