The Caravan and Control of Development Act 1960 prohibits the use of land as a caravan site unless the occupier holds a licence issued by the local authority. The number of caravans permitted on the site will be specified in the licence along with specific conditions designed to provide adequate standards of amenities, facilities for user and to protect their health and safety.
To run a caravan site, applicants:
- Must be entitled to use the land as a caravan site and obtain the necessary planning permission.
- Must not have had a site licence revoked within 3 years of the current application.
What types of caravan site licence are needed?
Sites licensed for year round occupation, including sites with residential mobile homes
Following the introduction of a new licensing scheme in May 2017, these sites are licenced under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 Part 1A. Licenses for these sites are subject to a more detailed licensing regime and require to be renewed every 5 years.
Touring, holiday and sites not licensed for year-round occupation
These sites are licenced under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 Part 1.
Mixed use sites may require 2 licences.
Licence Conditions
Licences have conditions which may include:
- Restricting when caravans can be on the site for human habitation or restricting the number of caravans that can be on the site at any one time.
- Controlling the types of caravans on the site e.g. residential, static holiday or touring.
- Controlling the positioning of the caravans or regulating the use of other structures and vehicles including tents
- Requiring steps to be taken to enhance the land, including planting/replanting, bushes or trees
- Ensuring that sanitary and other facilities, services and equipment are supplied and maintained.
Apply (New licence/renewal/transfer/vary)
Complete and return the below form along with the documentation referred to in Parts C and E of the form to poll@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Fees
The fees applied for new and renew applications for permanent residential sites are shown in the table below. There is no fee for touring and holiday sites not occupied all year round. Payment must be made online and made at the same time as submission of the application.
| Number of Residential Units | Cost for new (first) application | Cost for renewal application |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | £404 | £357 |
| 11-20 | £809 | £714 |
| 21-40 | £1618 | £1428 |
| 41-70 | £2831 | £2322 |
| 70+ | £4040 | £3569 |
What Happens Next
Once the application, together with all supporting documentation and the relevant fee has been received we will acknowledge receipt within 1 week. The local authority is required to make a decision within 3 months from the date all information is submitted together with the appropriate fee.
Fit and proper person test
On receiving an application for a Permanent Residential Caravan Site Licence, Aberdeen City Council must decide if the potential licence holder and any other relevant person involved in management of the site are a "Fit and Proper Person". Not meeting the requirements of the test may result in a licence being refused.
Aberdeen City Council may also under certain circumstances share information with other local authorities where it may be of relevance to the fit and proper person test decision by that authority for the purposes of caravan site licensing. The law allows this information to be shared even if there is a duty of confidentiality owed to the person who is the subject of the information. Please refer to any links in the ‘Related Content’ box at the bottom of the page.
How to appeal a refused application
If the local authority is considering rejecting your application for a permanent caravan site licence you will have 28 days to make representations. These representations will then be considered by the local authority before deciding the outcome of your application. An applicant can appeal to the Sheriff Court if a final decision is made to refuse the application for granting or renewal of a site licence.