Caravan site licence

A caravan site includes anywhere a caravan (including mobile or 'park' home) is situated and occupied for human habitation including on a permanent, touring or holiday basis.

The Council is responsible for the issuing of licences to caravan sites to ensure proper health, safety and welfare standards are maintained.

The licence will ensure that:

  • fire risk is minimised
  • there is access to the site for emergency services
  • site facilities are appropriate to the nature and size of the site

To achieve this, licence conditions may be applied covering issues such as:

  • types and number of caravans
  • when caravans can be occupied
  • density and caravan spacing
  • regulation of other structures such as tents
  • water supplies
  • sanitary provisions
  • supply an maintenance of equipment
  • fire precautions and fire fighting controls
  • roadways
  • land enhancement such as planting or replanting bushes or trees

We respond to complaints about unsatisfactory caravans and caravan sites and we also carry out regular programmed inspections of sites, ensuring they’re complying with their licence conditions.

For any problems associated with harassment or unlawful evictions, contact us.

Applying for a caravan site licence

To apply for a caravan site licence, you must first be entitled to use the land as a caravan site. A licence can only be issued once valid planning permission has been granted. For further advice on planning issues or to change the use of land to a permanent caravan site, visit our planning pages or contact us for help and advice.

Licences will not be issued to applicants who have had a site licence revoked within three years of the current application.

Applications must be in writing, should detail the land the application concerns and any other information required by us.

Apply for a caravan site licence online.

If you have not heard from us within 2 months of submitting your application you may continue to operate until the licence application has been determined.

Licence fees

We charge a fee for our site licensing role, including:

  • applying for a site licence,
  • amendments or transfers of existing licences,
  • annual fee for existing site licences.

Failure to pay the annual fee may eventually lead to the site licence being revoked. Read our mobile homes fees policy (PDF File, 368kb).

Failed applications

If you’re refused a licence or changes to a licence, or we change the conditions of your licence, we would advise you to contact us initially to try to resolve the problem. You can also appeal to the magistrates' court within 28 days of the written notification of the refusal. A notice of appeal must also be served on Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Concerns about caravan sites

If you’re concerned about noise, pollution, etc or have a complaint relating to licensed premises or suspect premises are operating without the required licence, please contact us for help and advice.

The Government has extended the role of the Leaseholder Advisory Service so that park home residents can now contact them for help and advice. This is particularly useful for areas where we do not have a role such as site rules, pitch fees or the selling/gifting of park homes.
Email them on info@lease-advice.org or call 020 7832 2525.

Caravan site licence breaches

We can now serve compliance notices (subject to appeal) on site owners who breach the conditions of their site licence.

These notices will set out what the site owner needs to do to correct the breaches and the timescales, and the notice may attract a fee. Failure to comply with the notice is a criminal offence.

Changes to caravan licensing

The Caravan and Control of Development Act 1960 requires us to licence sites that have gained, or are in the process of obtaining, the required planning permission to operate as a recognised caravan, mobile home or park home site.

The Mobile Homes Act 2013 introduces changes to site licences. It gives us more power to protect occupiers of residential caravan and mobile homes on “relevant protected sites” or residential sites.

The new legislation also introduces changes to:

The changes have no impact on holiday caravan site licences.

Find further information on the changes to caravan site licensing on the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) website.

Public register of site rules

Site rules are different to site licence conditions and are put in place by the owner of a site to ensure standards are maintained. These rules will benefit occupiers and promote community cohesion on the site.

New site rules deposited by owners:

Site rules - Carlton Manor (PDF File, 151kb)

Site rules - Fairholme and Fairfield (PDF File, 712kb)

Site rules - Riverdale Park (PDF File, 153kb)

Site rules - Sherwood Park (PDF File, 91kb)

Site rules - Woodland and Birchwood Park (PDF File, 213kb)