Skip to main content
Accessibility:
Contrast
Text size

Park homes and caravan sites

The Council's Private Sector Housing Team is responsible for the licensing of caravan and park home sites and for ensuring the conditions of the site licence are adhered to.

We have a duty to issue licences to all caravan sites within the district, providing the applicant has valid planning permission. The Private Sector Housing Team encourages good standards in park homes caravan sites and responds to complaints about unsatisfactory caravans and sites.

Land being used as a caravan site requires a Caravan Site Licence (but there are some limited exceptions). 

Applying for a licence Toggle accordion

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.

Fit and proper person test and register of Fit and Proper Persons Toggle accordion

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 £175. 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.

Licensing and Annual Inspection Fees Toggle accordion

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.

Private Caravan Site and Mobile Home Park Licensing Fees 2022-23

The Issue of a New Licence:

 

 

Small Sites 1 – 9 units

£384

One-off

Medium Sites 10 – 29 units

£519

One-off

Large Sites 30+ units

£740

One-off

The Annual Site Licensing Inspection Fee:

 

 

Small Sites 1 – 9 units

£200

Annual

Medium Sites 10 – 29 units

£274

Annual

Large Sites 30+ units

£378

Annual

Transfer of a licence

£184

 

Variations (Changing conditions on licence at Council’s request)

-

One-off

Variations (Changing conditions on the licence at the site licence holder’s request)

£184

One-off

Acceptance and deposit of site licence rules

£54

One-off

 

Full details of Council’s fees and charges can be found here

Council Owned Mobile Home Sites Toggle accordion

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

Complaints about Park Home and Caravan Sites

If the Private Sector Housing Team receives complaints about a site we will investigate. Contact details for the team are available at the bottom of this page.

Register of Licensed Mobile Home Sites Toggle accordion

Site addressLicence holderMax No. of HomesDate granted
Ardens Rise, House Lane, St Albans, AL4 9HEMr Michael Connors605/11/2018
Kingsheath Park, Bower Heath Lane, Harpenden, AL5 5EFButcher Parks Ltd1625/03/2022
1 Vicarage Meadow, Frogmore, Park Street, AL2 2JUSt Albans Diocesan Board of Finance130/03/2010
Frogmore Homes Park, Frogmore, St Albans, AL2 2LNFrogmore Park Homes Ltd5620/09/1999
Tullochside, Hemel Hempstead Road, Redbourn, AL3 7AJMr Ned Stanley2008/10/2013
1, The Paddocks, Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, AL4 0RTMr Thomas Murphy305/10/2010
Plot 2, The Paddocks, Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, AL4 0RTMr & Mrs Brazil111/05/2000
Plot 3, The Paddocks, Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, AL4 0RTMrs Shirley Stanley119/09/2017
Plot 4, The Paddocks, Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, AL4 0RTMrs Shirley Stanley119/09/2017
Plot 5, The Paddocks, Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, AL4 0RTMr Nelson Smith220/12/1999
Plot 6, The Paddocks, Colney Heath Lane, St Albans, AL4 0RTMr Nelson Smith111/05/2000

 

Mobile home site rules

Contact Us

The Private Sector Housing Team can be contacted by email or by calling 01727 819 355