Park homes and caravan sites

If you think you need to apply for a site licence you should approach the Private Sector Housing Team to discuss your site and arrange for an advisory visit. (Contact details for the team are located at the bottom of this page).

You should only submit an application once you have planning permission to use the land as a caravan site.  Further information regarding planning permission can be found on the Council’s Planning Department webpages.

A licence application will need to include a lay-out plan of the site to a scale of not less than 1/500. The plan should clearly show:

• all boundaries of the site;  
• the position of the caravans;  
• any roads and footpaths;  
• any foul and surface water drainage;  
• any recreational spaces;  
• any parking spaces;  
• any toilet blocks, stores and other buildings  
• any water points and any fire points.

Once the Council has received your application the site will be inspected and the licence issued.  

The licence will have conditions attached. These will include:

• The type of caravan, e.g. residential, static holiday or touring;  
• The permitted density (the number per acre/hectare) and the spacing between caravans;  
• Water supply and drainage; lavatory and washing facilities;  
• Fire precautions and electrical installations;  
• Roads, footpaths, hard standings and parking standards;  
• Administrative requirements.

Conditions will be based on the Model Standards 2008 for Caravan Sites.

• Model Standards 2008 for Caravan Sites ( pdf - 3.48 MB )

The Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020 ("the Regulations") introduced a fit and proper person test for mobile home site owners or the person appointed to manage the site, unless exempted by the Regulations.

What does this mean for site owners?

From 1 October 2021, unless the site is exempt, the site owner must:

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

What must a site owner do?

Apply for registration

Site owners operating a relevant protected site must apply for the relevant person (themselves or their appointed manager) to be included in the local register of fit and proper persons to manage a site. A site owner may only apply if they hold or have applied for a site licence for the site. 

The application form is at the bottom of this section.

DBS Check

The applicant seeking entry on the register will need a basic DBS certificate (dated no more than 6 months before the date of the application) and this 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 Government's website

DBS Check

Application cost

The cost of an application for inclusion on the register is £206. A copy of our fees policy is available at the bottom of this section.

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 

The regulations provide further details about this exemption, see The Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020 for more information.

What we'll consider

To be satisfied that the relevant person is a fit and proper person to manage the site, and to add them to the register, we'll consider:

• past compliance with the site licence
• the long term maintenance of the site
• whether the relevant person has sufficient level of competence to manage the site
• the management structure and funding arrangements for the site or proposed management structure and funding arrangements

We'll also consider whether the relevant person:

• has the right to work within the UK
• has committed any offence involving fraud or other dishonesty, violence, arson or drugs or listed in Schedule 3 to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (offences attracting notification requirements)
• has contravened any provision of the law relating to housing, caravan sites, mobile homes, public health, planning or environmental health or of landlord and tenant law
• has contravened any provision of the Equality Act 2010 in, or in connection with, the carrying on of any business
• has harassed any person in, or in connection with, the carrying on of any business
• has had an application rejected by any other local authority
• is, or has been within the past 10 years, personally insolvent
• is, or has been within the last 10 years, disqualified from acting as a company director

We also may consider the conduct of any person associated or formerly associated with the relevant person (whether on a personal, work or other basis), if it appears that person's conduct is relevant.

We can also consider any evidence on any other relevant matters.

A copy of our determination policy is available at the bottom of this section.

• FPP - Mobile Homes - Application Form ( pdf - 148.88 KB )
• FPP - Mobile Homes - Fees Policy ( pdf - 348.42 KB )
• FPP - Mobile Homes - Determination Policy ( pdf - 490.09 KB )
• FPP - Register ( pdf - 436.03 KB )

Once the Council have issued a licence the site will be inspected annually.

Licensing Fees

The Council charges a fee for the licensing and subsequent inspection of sites. The fees are detailed on the following table.

St Albans City and District Council own 4 park home sites providing low cost home ownership.

These are at

• Drakes Drive, St Albans

• Meadow Close, Bricket Wood

• Park Homes, London Colney (For couples and single people aged over 40)

• Woodvale Park, St Albans (For couples and single people aged over 50)

All park homes

• Are owner occupied

• Have a written agreement and site rules

• Can be purchased through local estate agents or privately

For information on how to purchase or sell a mobile home visit the GOV.UK website. We recommend you use a solicitor for any purchase or sale.

Please note, homes must be occupied by the owner, they are not allowed to be rented out.

Vacant plots to be re-let are rare. When available they are advertised locally.

To obtain independent advice on park homes visit The Leasehold Advisory Service at www.lease-advice.org

The following leaflet provides fire safety advice for residents of mobile homes.

• PSH - Fire safety advice for residents in mobile homes ( pdf - 5.50 MB )

Free independent advice for park home residents is available through Lease. More information is available on their website – www.parkhomes.lease-advice.org

The Government has published information for park home residents in England on their rights and obligations under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. This is available on the following website: www.gov.uk/government/collections/park-homes