Camping and caravan sites

Do I need a Licence for a camping site?

If you want to use your land for camping for more than 28 days in a year, you will require planning permission, unless the site is occupied by a recreational organisation.

If your land will be used for camping on more than 42 consecutive days, or more than 60 days in 12 months, you will need a campsite licence as well as planning permission.

The licence requirement relating to camping, falls under Section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936, which allows land to be licensed and used as a site for moveable dwellings.

The term “moveable dwelling” includes any tent, any van or other conveyance whether on wheels or not, and, any shed or similar structure, being a tent, conveyance or structure, which is used either regularly, or at certain seasons only, or intermittently, for human habitation. The definition does not include a structure to which building regulations apply or to caravans (please see section on Do I need a Licence for a caravan site?)

Are there any exemptions from the requirement to have a camping site licence?

Yes, a camping site licence is not required if:

sites are occupied by exempted organisations, such as the Camping and Caravanning club
a moveable dwelling is kept by its owner on land occupied by them in connection with their dwelling, and is used for habitation only by the owner or by members of their household
a moveable dwelling is kept by its owner on agricultural land occupied by them and is used for habitation only at certain seasons, and only by persons employed in farming operations on that land
a moveable dwelling is not in use for human habitation

How do I apply for a camping site licence?

Before applying you must ensure you have the relevant planning permission in place.

If you have the relevant planning permissions, you can apply for a camping site licence by emailing environmentalhealth@wirral.gov.uk and requesting an application form.

Once a fully completed application form and the correct supporting documentation has been provided, the local authority will determine your camping licence within four weeks from the date of receipt.

If approved, you will be issued with a licence containing any relevant conditions. If your application is refused, you will be notified of the decision and the reasons for refusal.

Do I need a licence for a caravan site?

Under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, no occupier of land shall “cause or permit” any part of their land to be used as a caravan site, unless they hold a current site licence (issued by the Local Authority) in respect of the land. The definitions of a caravan and caravan site can be found under Section 29 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 and include:

a caravan is “any structure designed or adapted for human habitation which is capable of being moved from one place to another (whether by being towed, or by being transported on a motor vehicle or trailer) and any motor vehicle so designed or adapted”. This does not include any railway rolling stock or any tent.
a caravan site is “land on which a caravan is stationed for the purposes of human habitation, and land which is used in conjunction with land on which a caravan is so stationed.”

There are two main types of caravan site licence:

permanent residential and;
holiday (static and touring)

Licence conditions are slightly different for the different types of caravan sites. The Secretary of State has issued model conditions for holiday and residential sites, which are available below. These model conditions form the basis of any site licence that is issued by the Local Authority, but it is the local authority’s discretion to determine what conditions will be attached to the site licence:

Are there any exemptions from the requirement to have a caravan site licence?

Yes, the following are exempt from the requirement for a caravan site licence:

incidental use within the curtilage of a dwelling
sites used to occupy seasonal agricultural or forestry workers, certified travelling showmen, or building and engineering sites
the stationing of a single caravan for no more than two consecutive nights for a maximum of 28 days in any 12 months
up to three caravans on a site of not less than five acres, for a maximum of 28 days in any 12 months
sites occupied by an exempted organisation such as the Caravan Club
sites approved by an exempted organisation for up to five caravans, who operate a members only policy
sites used for social get-togethers or meetings by exempted organisations (eg. a rally)
sites owned by a local authority

How do I apply for a caravan site licence?

A caravan site licence cannot be issued if:

the land does not have the relevant planning permission for one or more of the 2 types of caravan sites listed above.
the applicant has had a site licence revoked within the last 3 years.

If you have the relevant planning permissions, you can apply for a caravan site licence here:

Download a caravan site licence application form (Word document)

As part of your application, you will need to submit all the supporting documentation as detailed in the application form.

Where planning permission already exists, licences will be issued within two months of the application. If planning permission is not obtained until later, the licence will be issued within six weeks of the permission being obtained. In both cases, the period in which to issue the licence may be extended by written agreement between the applicant and the local authority.

How long do site licences remain in place?

There is no expiry date for a site licence unless the relevant planning permission is for a limited period in which case, the site licence will expire at the same time as the planning permission.

Can I appeal if I disagree with a licensing decision?

In the first instance you are encouraged to contact Environmental Health.

For camping and holiday caravan sites, if you don’t agree with the conditions attached to a licence or a decision to refuse a licence, appeals can be made to the Magistrates court. For mobile homes on residential sites (known as protected sites - Mobile Homes Act 2013) appeals must be made to the Residential Property Tribunal.

All appeals must be made within 28 days of the written notification. A notice of appeal must also be served on Wirral Council.

What do I do if I am a new occupier of an existing site?

Licences are transferable to new occupiers, but you must inform us of this change so that consent can be issued.

As a licence holder you should ensure your details are kept up to date and inform us of any changes. Planning permission details must correspond with your licence.

Do I have to pay a fee for a site licence?

Wirral Council do not currently charge any fees for camping or caravan site licences.

Are there Fire Precautions I need to be aware of?

Yes, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to caravan and camping sites. The local fire and rescue authority are the main enforcers of this legislation. Site owners need to be aware that they are required to carry out a fire risk assessment and make this available for inspection.

How do I view the public register of licensed caravan sites in Wirral?

View the public register (PDF, 23kb)

Caravan sites: Fit and proper person

About the regulations

The Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020 prohibit the use of land as a residential mobile home site unless we are satisfied that the owner or manager of the site is a fit and proper person to manage the site.

An application for the person responsible for managing the site to be a fit and proper person can only be made if they hold or have applied for a site licence for the site.

The purpose of the legislation is to improve the standards of park (mobile) home site management, by introducing an assessment to ensure that the person responsible for managing the site is suitable and of good character, and as such does not pose a risk to the welfare or safety of persons occupying mobile homes on the site.

What sites do the regulations apply to:

All relevant protected sites, as defined in section 5A(5) of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. This includes both used exclusively for residential purposes and mixed use parks (used for both holiday and residential purposes). Sites that are exempted by the Regulations are those that are only occupied by members of the same family and are not being run as commercial residential sites.

What must a site owner do?

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 public register of fit and proper persons to manage a site.

Apply to be included in the public register

You can apply to be included in the public register of fit and proper persons to manage a site by downloading and completing the application form below:

Download to apply to appear in the public register (PDF, 272KB)

Existing site owners must apply again if the circumstances relating to the nominated fit and proper person change in relation to an existing caravan site; for example:

transfer of site licence
change in management of the site
removal of a person from the register by the local authority

What we consider

To be sure that the relevant person is a fit and proper person to manage the site, and to add them to the register, we will consider:

compliance with the site licence
the long term maintenance of the site
whether the relevant person has a sufficient level of competence to manage a site
the management structure and funding arrangements for the site or proposed management structure and funding arrangements

We also consider whether the relevant person:

has committed any offence involving fraud or other dishonesty, violence, arson or drugs or listed in Schedule 3 to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (offences attracting notification requirements);
has contravened any provision of the law relating to housing, caravan sites, mobile homes, public health, planning or environmental health or of landlord and tenant law;
has contravened any provision of the Equality Act 2010 in, or in connection with, the carrying on of any business;
has harassed any person in, or in connection with, the carrying on of any business;
is, or has been within the past 10 years, personally insolvent
is, or has been within the past 10 years, disqualified from acting as a company director;
has the right to work within the United Kingdom;
is a member of any redress scheme for dealing with complaints in connection with the management of the site; and
has had an application rejected by any other local authority

A basic criminal record certificate (Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate) must also be provided dated no earlier than six months before the date of the application. DBS applications can be made directly on GOV.UK.

Register of fit and proper persons

The register of those considered to be fit and proper persons to manage a residential mobile home site can be seen below:

View the Fit and Proper Persons register (Excel, 22KB)

Sites rules for licensed residential mobile home sites on Wirral

In accordance with the Mobile Homes (Site Rules, England) Regulations 2014 we are obliged to publish the site rules for residential mobile home sites that have been lodged with the council. You can access the relevant site rules here: