Charnwood Borough Council is responsible for licensing all caravan, park home and camping sites in the borough that are or will be used for residential, holiday or touring use. This is to ensure the safety of everyone on the site.

Operating a caravan or park home site without a licence is an offence as per Section 1 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Operating a campsite without a licence is an offence as per Section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936.

Fit and Proper Person Test

The Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020, require the manager of a site to be a Fit and Proper Person (the Regulations).

Charnwood Borough Council is accordingly required to introduce a fit and proper person test for mobile home site owners, or the person appointed to manage the site, unless they are eligible for an exemption under the Regulations.

You can read more about the regulations and how to complete the application. The current fee for a Fit and Proper Person Test Application to be assessed is £142.44. Please note, the Council is not required to consider an application unless that application is accompanied by the correct fee.

Applications must be received by September 30, 2021.

Applying for a site licence or applying to transfer a site licence

To lawfully run a caravan, park home or camping site, an applicant (usually the site owner) must apply for a licence. To apply for a licence or transfer an existing site licence, complete the application form linked below and submit it to Charnwood Borough Council (either by post to Private Sector Housing, Charnwood Borough Council, Southfield Road, Loughborough, LE11 2TT or email private.housing@charnwood.gov.uk with a site plan.

The site plan should be to a scale of not less than 1/500 and show clearly:

  • The boundaries of the site
  • The positions of caravan standings  

Existing and proposed facilities:

  • Roads and footpaths
  • Toilet blocks, stores and other buildings
  • Foul and surface water drainage
  • Water supply
  • Recreation spaces
  • Fire points
  • Parking spaces

The site plan should distinguish clearly between facilities that are already available, and facilities that are proposed. 

A licence will not be granted if the site does not have the relevant planning permission.  Please note that sites which were already in use on or before 9th March 1960 still require planning permission in accordance with the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. 

Camp sites

Camp sites are those used for tents and are different to caravan and park home sites. Land within Charnwood borough which used as a camp site for more than 42 consecutive days or 60 days in a year requires a licence from Charnwood Borough Council. There are exceptions for campsites which have been approved by organisations that hold camping exemption certificates.  

Licensing exemptions for caravan and park home sites

Some caravan and park home sites are exempt from licensing. If you are unsure whether a site for residential, holiday or touring use or camping requires a licence, please contact Charnwood Borough Council for advice.

Site Licence Conditions

Charnwood Borough Council will impose conditions on the site as part of the site licence.  Conditions will cover health & safety issues such as how the site should be laid out, what type of units are permitted, provision of adequate drainage, sanitation and washing facilities or electrical safety and are based on Model Standards issued by the central government.

If Charnwood Borough Council witnesses a breach of site licence conditions, action may be taken against the site licence holder through the service of a Compliance Notice.  Failure to comply with a Compliance Notice is a criminal offence.

The Council cannot address matters outside the scope of the licence conditions, but residents may be able to take action in accordance with the rights conferred on them by the Mobile Homes Acts 1983 and 2013 and the Caravan Sites Act 1968 through the Civil Courts.

The site licence will usually last as long as the site has the relevant planning permission. However, if site licence conditions are repeatedly breached the site licence may be revoked by Charnwood Borough Council. 

If you own a site or you are a site resident and have concerns relating to site licence or the condition to a site, please contact Private Sector Housing on 01509 634 651 or private.housing@charnwood.gov.uk to discuss your concerns.

Annual Inspections and Fees

Charnwood Borough Council undertake annual site inspections of residential caravan and mobile homes sites to determine whether site licence conditions are being adhered to. Charnwood Borough Council charge an annual site licence fee for this.

Park Homes Fees Policy

Fees are payable for sites used for residential purposes and more information can be found in our Park Homes Fees Policy.

Site Rules

Operators of protect sites (for residential use) within the borough may set their own site rules to ensure acceptable standards are maintained, which will benefit occupiers of the site.  Site rules will generally cover issues regarding the day-to-day running of a site.  

If site rules are set, a copy of the site rules must be provided to Charnwood Borough Council once they have been agreed with residents. The site rules are part of the contract between the home owner and site owner, and supplement the Mobile Homes Act Agreement.

All Site Rules received by Charnwood Borough Council are required to be published. The Site Rules published below are an exact copy as presented to Charnwood Borough Council. Charnwood Borough Council accepts no responsibility if there are errors or omissions regarding the site rules.  Charnwood Borough Council does not endorse or approve these Site Rules and is not responsible for their content or enforcement. 

Site operators who have implemented site rules must complete and sign this Submission of site rules form and return it along with a copy of the site rules to private.housing@charnwood.gov.uk

Register of Protected Sites (Residential Use)

Please see below our Register of Protected Sites (Residential Use).

The following organisations can provide information and advice to park home owners:

In addition, the Department of Work and Pensions have created guidance documents for anyone intending to buy, sell or gift a park home on a protected site in England.

Last updated: Wed 15th December, 2021 @ 13:58