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Residential Mobile (Park) Homes

Important: The information provided in this section relates solely to residential mobile (park) home sites and does not include holiday or touring caravan sites. For information relating to holiday parks and touring sites, please contact the Environmental Health Team.

The council is legally required to licence all caravan and mobile home sites under the Caravan and Control of Development Act 1960, except those subject to a statutory exemption.

The Mobile Homes Act 2013 (“the Act”) was introduced to amend the Caravan and Control of Development Act 1960. The Act provides additional protection for the occupiers of residential park homes, which are defined by the Act as ‘relevant protected sites’.

The new site licensing regime gives the council more powers in respect of relevant protected sites and enforcement action can be taken when site owners fail to suitably manage and maintain their sites and services.

Yes. If you use your land for the siting of caravans for permanent residential use, you must apply for a site licence; unless the use of the site falls into the category of ‘exempted sites’ as defined in the First Schedule of the Caravan and Control of Development Act 1960.

Exemptions

You do not need a licence to operate a caravan site if:

  • forestry workers, builders, travelling showmen or seasonal workers (like fruit pickers) stay in caravans on the site;
  • the site is 5 or more acres and there are 3 or less caravans there for 28 days or less a year;
  • you’re a member of an organisation like a caravan club and have a caravan exemption certificate;
  • your site is approved by an organisation with a caravan exemption certificate;
  • members of an exempted organisation stay in their caravans on the site;
  • your site is used for a social get-together of caravan club members (a ‘rally’).
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All relevant protected sites must have the appropriate planning permission. A site licence cannot be issued without the site having the benefit of planning permission for permanent residential use.

Once you have obtained planning permission for the site, you must make an application for a site licence as soon as possible.

You should contact the Housing Licensing Team if you think your residential site needs a site licence. They can offer advice and send you an application form, if required.

Alternatively, online applications can be made on the gov.uk website.

Please do not delay in making an application if you are legally required to licence your site. You will commit an offence if you operate an unlicensed site without a reasonable excuse. The council has the power to initiate prosecution proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court and anyone found guilty of such an offence may be subject to a fine of any amount.

If you are having problems with obtaining the information required for the application, please contact us as soon as possible.

Your application will only be validated and processed if it is complete and all the necessary documentation has been provided. You will be advised if any information is missing.

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There are currently no fees payable for site licence applications in respect of residential mobile (park) home sites.

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To ensure the proper management and maintenance of sites and services, conditions are attached to all site licences. When setting conditions, the council is required to have regard to the model standards published by the Government. The current guidance is set out in the Model Standards 2008 for Caravan Sites in England.

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The council has a duty to publish any site rules that are deposited with the council following the relevant consultation between the site owner(s) and residents. The Public Register of Relevant Protected Sites shows if a site has deposited a set of park rules with the council.

Residents who disagree with or wish to challenge specific rules are advised to seek independent legal advice. Help and advice can also be obtained from The Leasehold Advisory Service.

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Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, Section 25
Mobile Homes Act 2013 | Mobile Homes (Site Rules)(England) Regulations 2014, Regulation 16

Site Name Site Address Licence Holder Type of Units Site Rules
Foxhunter Park (Park Home Section)
Monkton
Kent
CT12 4LG
Saunders Park Homes Ltd 28 x Residential Units
312 x Holiday Units
Foxhunter Park Site Rules – Deposited with Local Authority
Court Mount (Saunders Park Homes)
Canterbury Road
Birchington-on -Sea
Kent
CT7 0BU
Mr R Saunders 140 x Residential Court Mount Park Site Rules – Deposited with Local Authority
Smugglers Leap Mount Pleasant
Minster, Ramsgate
Kent
CT12 4AX
Starglade Park Developments Ltd 39 x Residential Smugglers Leap Park Site Rules – Deposited with Local Authority
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Fit and proper person test

The Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020 introduced the requirement for all site owners, or an appointed site manager, of relevant protected sites to be fit and proper persons. The legislation aims to improve the overall standards of site management by ensuring that the person appointed to manage the site is fit to do so.

It is a criminal offence to operate a relevant protected site without a registered fit and proper person in place. A site owner found guilty of such a contravention of the Regulations would be liable, on summary conviction, to an unlimited fine.

To be a fit and proper person, the relevant person will have to show that they have suitable financial and management arrangements in place for the site. Furthermore, a fit and proper person will need to have the right to work in the UK and provide evidence to show that they are a fit and proper person. The following, among other matters, is taken into account when a fit and proper assessment is made:

  • 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, or 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 10 years;
  • Disqualification from acting as a company director within the last 10 years.
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Under the legislation, the fit and proper person must be the person with day-to-day responsibility for managing the 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 have themselves or the site manager included on the fit and proper person register.

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Applications must be made to the council directly.

The applicant seeking entry on to the register will need a basic DBS certificate (dated no more than six months before the date of the application) and this must be included with your 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.

You should contact the Housing Licensing Team to apply to be added to the register. They can offer advice and provide an application form.

At present, there is no fee for making an application to be on the fit and proper person register. If an application is granted subject to conditions, the council will charge a fee for the annual monitoring of the conditions.

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The Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be a Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020, Regulation 5 and Schedule 1

 

Site name and address Relevant person and business contact details Relevant person status Date placed on register Expiry date on register Conditions attached
Court Mount

Canterbury Road

Birchington

Kent

CT7 0BU

Joshua Saunders

Hermesland House

Moat Lane

Fordwich

CT2 0DP

Site Manager 09 November 2023 08 November 2028 None
The Foxhunter Park

Monkton Street

Monkton

Kent

CT12 4JG

Kelly Morgan

The Foxhunter Park 

Monkton Street

Monkton

Kent

CT12 4JG

Site Manager 11 January 2024 10 January 2029 None

 

Private Sector Housing, Housing and Planning, Thanet District Council, PO Box 9, Cecil Street, Margate, Kent, CT9 1XZ.

Tel: (01843) 577437 | Email: housing.licensing@thanet.gov.uk | Website: thanet.gov.uk

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