Park homes and caravan site licences
Cheshire East council is required to license sites with park homes, mobile homes or caravans for the purpose of habitation either permanently (relevant protected sites) or for holiday use, including Gypsy and Traveller sites in the Cheshire East area, once planning permission has been granted for that use. A site may consist of one or more caravan(s); they may be residential or recreational/touring.
Some sites are exempt from licensing, mostly those approved by the Caravan Club, those which are used only a few times each year, ancillary to the use of a dwelling and those exempted by legislation.
Mobile Homes Act 2013 - site rules online register
All Local Authorities must retain an online register of Site Rules for those sites that fall within the Mobile Homes Act 2013.
The council has the responsibility to maintain the register and to include all site rules it receives.
Site owners are responsible for providing an exact copy of their site rules to the council.
The council does not enforce the rules and we accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in the site rules. It is the responsibility of the site owners to provide any updates or amendments.
The register is currently being refreshed and is not yet available online. To see any site rule information in the interim email your request to Commercialservices@cheshireeast.gov.uk
The Mobile Homes Regulations 2020
All park home sites (permanent residential sites), operated on a commercial basis, must be managed by a fit and proper person. The council keeps a register of fit and proper persons.
Fit and Proper Persons register (MS Excel, 23KB)
The fit and proper persons register only applies to park home sites which operate on a commercial basis where units are sold or rented to residents. Park home sites which are only occupied by the site owner or members of their family do not need to apply. If circumstances change and units are rented out to non-family members then the owner or site manager will need to apply to be included on the register.
Who needs to be on the Fit and proper persons register
Under the legislation the fit and proper person must be the person with day to day responsibility of managing a site, whether that is the site owner, or a person appointed to undertake the task on the owner’s behalf.
Anyone applying for a new site licence or the transfer of a site licence to a new owner will need to apply to include the site manager on the register.
The applicant will need a basic DBS certificate (no more than six months before the date of the application) which must be included with the application. The DBS certificate must be from an approved supplier, information about how to arrange a DBS check can be found on the Gov.UK website.
Applications must be renewed every 5 years.
If you are operating a site and fail to comply with the fit and proper person test it is a criminal offence and if found guilty you would be liable, on summary conviction, of a fine up to level 5 (unlimited).
A fit and proper person
To be included on the register of fit and proper persons applicants will have to show that there are suitable financial and management arrangements in place for the site and to provide information relating to their conduct in relation to:
- offences relating to fraud, dishonesty, violence, arson or drugs or listed in schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003
- contraventions of law in relation to; housing, caravan sites, mobile homes, public health, planning or environmental health or landlord and tenant law
- contraventions of law in relation to the Equality Act 2010
- contraventions of law in connection with the carrying out of any business
- harassment of any person in connection with the carrying out of any business.
- insolvency within the last ten years
- disqualification from acting as a company director within the last ten years
- their right to work in the UK
Apply for a mobile home site licence
Print or download the application form and send the completed form and plans by post or email.
Caravan licence application form (Word, 112KB)
To request a paper copy of the application form email Commercialservices@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Fees for mobile home sites registration
The Mobile Homes Act 2013 introduced the provision for a local authority to charge for its inspection, administration and enforcement functions in relation to residential caravan sites. These fees are set annually by the General Licensing Committee view a copy of the Mobile homes fees and Charges Policy 2024-2025 (PDF, 190KB).
Fees and charges for mobile home licensing
| Mobile Home Licensing Function | £ |
|---|
| Annual Fee (dependent upon pitch numbers) |
225.00 - 521.00 |
| New Application Fee (dependent upon pitch numbers) |
225.00 - 521.00 |
| Transfer Fee |
124.00 |
| Simple Licence Amendment |
124.00 |
| Detailed Licence Amendment |
372.00 |
| Deposit of Site Rules |
44.00 |
| Service of Statutory Notice |
Cost Recovery
|
| Fit & Proper Person - Initial Application |
385.00
|
| Fit & Proper Person - Renewal (5 Yearly) |
197.00
|
Application evaluation process
Conditions are not normally imposed on a site licence where these controls are already in place eg planning permission conditions, or other legislation eg fire safety controls covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
The application for a site licence must follow the planning permitted use and layout. Deviation from this will result in refusal as only site permitted by the planning process can be licensed.
Following the grant of planning permission the Environmental Health Team will inspect the site and discuss conditions that may be attached to a licence to cover any of the following:
- controlling the types of caravans on the site eg BS standards for recreational and or residential use.
- controlling the positioning of the caravans or regulating the use of other structures and vehicles including tents
- fire safety and fire fighting controls – requirement for the production of a Fire Risk Assessment
- to ensure that sanitary and other facilities, services and equipment are supplied and maintained
- to ensure adequate roadways
- general public health and health and safety measures
This is not an exhaustive list.
You must allow the officer free access to the site and provide all the required information.
Eligibility criteria
- The applicant must be entitled to use the land as a caravan site. If planning permission is required then this must be granted before the licence can be issued.
- Licences will not be issued to applicants who have had a site licence revoked within three years of the current application.
- Generally the site licence will be in the name of the landowner or registered company.
- Where someone does not meet a fit and proper person criteria (when enacted by legislation - Mobile Homes Act 2013).
Right of appeal
If a licence application is refused or an application or to alter a condition in an existing licence, they may appeal to the Residential Property Tribunals (residential – relevant protected sites – Mobile Homes Act 2013) or the magistrates court for all other sites. The appeal must be made within 28 days of the written notification of the refusal and a notice of appeal must be served on Cheshire East Council.
Regulations for caravan and park homes
View additional guidance on residential park homes on Communities and Local Government website
Caravan and park home organisations
Page last reviewed: 02 April 2024
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