Caravan sites

Information about the licensing of caravan sites

If you want to use land as a caravan site, including for a single caravan, you will need a site licence*. There are exemptions to this - see further information below.

There are two types of caravan site that may need a licence - holiday/touring sites and residential sites.

What counts as a caravan?

A caravan is any structure designed or adapted for people to live in, which is capable of being moved from one place to another (towed or transported), provided its size does not exceed 20m in length, 6.8m wide and 3.05m in height. Tents (and camping) and railway stock on rails within the railway system are not included in the definition of a caravan.

View a full definition of a caravan This link will take you to an external website... .

*Under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960

There are conditions attached to the licence you will need to achieve, which aim to achieve appropriate safety and amenity standards for caravans and mobile home sites. Please note we may amend these conditions to suit individual circumstances.

The council will need to carry out a site visit to check the facilities before issuing your licence.

Planning permission

Please note: We are unable to consider applications for caravan licences unless planning permission is in place on the site. Contact planning for more information.

Apply for a caravan licence

To apply for a licence please complete the online form - Apply for a caravan site licence

Application charges

There is no charge for applying for a caravan site licence.

Exemptions

You don't need a site licence for:

incidental use within the curtilage of a home (e.g. a caravan kept on a domestic driveway for private use by the owners)
single caravans for not more than two nights and 28 days in 12 months
holdings of five acres or more if not more than 28 days in 12 months and maximum three caravans at any time
sites occupied and supervised by exempted organisations (e.g. the Caravan Club)
sites approved by exempted organisations for up to five caravans
meetings organised by exempted organisations
seasonal agriculture and forestry workers
building and engineering sites
travelling showmen
sites occupied by a local authority
gypsy sites occupied by county or regional councils

View a copy of the legislation detailing the exemptions in full.

Timescales

We aim to process applications within two months. There is no deemed approval of applications until a licence is granted.

Depending on the status of the site-s planning permission a licence will be granted either permanently or for a fixed period. If the licence is for a fixed period the expiry date will be stated on the licence.

Renewal of licences

It is the applicant's responsibility to apply and ensure that the necessary planning permission is in place before an application for renewal of a licence is submitted.

Appeals and complaints

If you have concerns about how your application is handled the first point of contact will be the case officer dealing with your application. If you are still not satisfied you can lodge a complaint with their line manager. If you are dissatisfied with a condition attached to your licence you have the right of appeal to a magistrates court This link will take you to an external website... within 28 days.

Other considerations

The following matters are not directly taken into account when considering applications, but you are strongly encouraged to ensure that you have taken account of these issues before applying for a licence (this list is not intended to be exhaustive or comprehensive):

How will you dispose of waste? Business owners have a legal duty to safely manage, store and dispose of any waste generated as a result of their business. You will need to engage a commercial waste contractor to dispose of any waste generated by your business.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (fire safety order), requires responsible persons of all non domestic premises to undertake and implement a fire safety risk assessment of their premises. For more information on this you can contact the fire service Oxfordshire County Council This link will take you to an external website... . For mobile home sites this means that fire safety issues relating to mobile homes and plots (domestic premises) are dealt with under the licence conditions and issues on the site generally are dealt with under the fire safety order.
The health and safety of your staff and visitors to your site. You can obtain more information on this from the Health and Safety Executive website Health and Safety Executive This link will take you to an external website... .