Who needs a residential caravan site licence and how to apply
Who needs a licence?
The information on this page applies to:
- residential caravan sites
- sites where there may be a mixture of permanent residential and temporary holiday pitches.
If you need a licence for holiday and touring caravan sites, please visit our caravan sites and camping page.
If you wish to place a caravan(s) on land for residential purposes, then in most cases you'll need to first hold a site licence. If the site already has a licence holder, they’ll need to transfer the licence to you when they transfer the land.
You'll also need to have planning permission for a residential site before you apply for a licence.
Exemptions
Some sites do not need a licence. Please see our residential caravan site licence exemptions document.
Apply for a licence
Please complete one of our application forms to:
- apply for a residential caravan site licence,
- transfer one to a new owner or leaseholder, or
- alter the conditions attached to a current licence
To apply for a residential caravan site licence, or to transfer a licence, you'll need to include:
- a cheque for the application fee
- a site plan of a minimum scale of 1:500 showing structures, features, services and facilities (a plan won't be needed for an application for alteration of your licence conditions, unless there is a proposal to change the physical layout of the site)
- site owners operating a relevant protected site must apply to us 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
Download our residential caravans, park and mobile homes licence forms
Please send your completed form by post, or send an electronic scan to housing.standards@west-norfolk.gov.uk
What happens next?
Once we receive the application and all the information requested, we’ll discuss the licence process with you. We’ll then inspect the site, and may also consult with the fire service.
We normally make a decision within eight weeks of receiving a complete application (including required supporting details and a cheque). However, some applications may take longer and we’ll discuss this with you if this is the case.
Before issuing a new licence, we’ll usually consult with you by sending you the proposed licence conditions. We allow a minimum of 14 days for you to comment before we issue the final licence.
You have the right to appeal to a First Tier Tribunal if you disagree with:
- a decision to refuse a licence application or a transfer application
- any conditions appended to a new application
- a decision to refuse to alter a condition
- a decision taken by the council to alter any existing condition of the licence
Please note; when a licence is transferred, the conditions will remain unchanged.
Failure to meet the standards set out in the licence conditions could result in us serving a Compliance Notice. This is the first step in taking formal action to improve standards to meet the requirements of the licence conditions.