Apply for a caravan site or campsite licence in the former Chiltern district area

Licences are needed for:

• residential caravans and mobile homes used as individual homes
• parks for touring caravans
• some campsites

Not all caravan and campsites need to have a licence.

You do not need a licence for:

• sites for forestry workers, builders, travelling showmen or seasonal workers (like fruit pickers)
• sites that are 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 staying in their caravans on the site
• your site is used for a social get-together of caravan club members, or rally

You do not need a licence if:

• the site is used for camping in tents on fewer than 42 days in a row, or fewer than 60 days in any 12 month period
• you’re a member of an organisation like the Scouts and have an exemption certificate
• your site is approved by an organisation with a camping exemption certificate
• members of an exempted organisation stay in their tents on the site

Before you can apply for a mobile home site licence you need to join our fit and proper person register. The fee for this is £112.

Find out more about the Fit and proper person register

We can impose conditions on the licence for health and safety reasons.

In general, the conditions cover:

• the type of caravan that can use the site, for example residential or touring
• the number of caravans on the site and the spacing between caravans
• fire safety
• electrical safety
• water supply and drainage
• lavatory and washing facilities
• roads, footpaths, hard standings and parking

Site owners and managers must ensure that they comply with the licence conditions. We can take action against site owners if they breach the conditions.

Find out more about caravan site fees.

To apply for a site licence, you:

• must have planning permission
• must not have had a site licence revoked within 3 years of the current application

You cannot run a caravan site until your application has been granted.

If you’ve not heard from us within 30 days, email: [email protected]

To appeal against a condition attached to a licence, contact your local magistrates’ court. You need to do this within 28 days of the licence being issued.

We may alter the conditions of a licence at any time. We’ll do this with a written notification. Licence holders have the chance to discuss the proposed changes with us.

If you disagree with any alterations to your licence, you can appeal to the local magistrates’ court. You need to do this within 28 days of the written notification and a notice of the appeal must be served on us.

View the register of sites in the Chiltern area

Email: [email protected]