Caravan site licensing
Use the links below to find the information that you need
Where a site has got planning permission the owner of the site must have a caravan site license which is granted by Malvern Hills District Council.
A licence is required in order for us to regulate that standards are being maintained on the site and also health and safety legislation are adhered to.
The licence is issued subject to the conditions based on the adopted model standards for caravan sites. We will carry out regular site inspections to ensure compliance of conditions.
No caravan site licence can be issued, if either the land does not have planning permission for the use as a caravan site or the applicant has had a site licence revoked within the previous three years.
Applying for a Licence
Please complete the application form and email it to
It is important that licence application is supported by a layout (to scale of no less than 1/500 if a paper copy is submitted) showing the boundaries of the site, the proposed positions of caravans, car parking, fire fighting arrangements, sanitary facilities, refuse arrangements, water supplies and access/egress arrangements.
Types of caravan sites
There are three types of caravan site and all are subject to the need for planning approval and must have a site licence.
The word caravan includes all mobile homes or motor homes or touring units.
- Residential Sites. These are sites where homes can be occupied for twelve months per year
- Static Holiday Sites. These are sites for temporary, holiday use where the site is closed for a period of the year
- Touring Sites. These are sites for holiday use where caravans are usually towed to the site for short periods of time
All caravan site licences include a set of conditions that must be complied with.
These conditions include requirements about fire precautions, minimum spacing distance between units, water supplies and drainage, car parking etc.
However, it does not include sites where caravans are kept for storage only (driveways, retailers, storage parks) or where a caravan is used as additional accommodation for an existing dwelling.
A licence is also required for a camping sites which are used for more than 42 days consecutively or 60 days in total in any consecutive 12 months.
Sites not requiring a licence
- A caravan sited within the curtilage of a dwelling and its use is incidental to the dwelling. This means it cannot be occupied separately.
- A single caravan sited for not more than two consecutive nights, provided no other caravan has been stationed there 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 exempted organisations such as the Caravan Club.
- Sites of up to 5 caravans certified by an exempt organisation and which are for members only.
- Sites occupied by the local authority. These are usually gypsy sites.
- Sites for temporary and special purposes such as caravan rallies, agricultural and forestry workers, building and engineering sites and travelling salesmen.
- A site for tents only can be used for a maximum of 28 days in any 12 months.
The Mobile Home Act 2013
This new law gives more rights to people who live in their own home on a protected site.
The most important changes make it easier for you to sell your home on the open market, without interference from the owner of the park where you live. These changes came into effect on 26 May 2013. In addition, this legislation requires the council to keep a register of site rules in respect of protected sites in its area. The site owner may set rules on residential caravan sites. The Council does not enforce these rules, although some rules may be a duplicate of the site licence conditions.
The Council is only required to keep and publish a register of site rules. We will update this page when we are notified by the site owners that rules are in force. The rules published on the link below have been written by the site owners and not the Council. In addition, Malvern Hills District Council will not check these rules for banned rules or check that the consultation procedure has been followed. This is between the homeowners and site owner.
Caravan Sites Register of Site Rules
Malvern Hills District Council holds a register for site rules deposited of protected sites in the District. This register of site rules can be inspected by members of the public at the Malvern Hills District Council Offices during work hours.
The sites with deposited site rules are:
| Site Name and Address | Licence Holders Name |
| The Glade, Lyfs Lane, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3JN | Mr D Light |
| Badgers Walk, Bayton Common, Clows Top, Kidderminster, DY14 9NT | Mr A Lunnon |
| Three Counties Park, Sledge Green, Berrow | Mr J Fury |
| Hook Bank, Welland | Mrs M Barr |
| Oakmere Park, Hanley Swan, WR8 0DZ | Mr B Piercy |
| Wheatfield Park, Callow End, WR2 4UP | Mr and Mrs Cooper |
Caravan site – Fit and proper person
The Mobile Homes (Requirements for Manager of Site to Fit and Proper) (England) Regulations 2020. Introduced a fit and proper person test for mobile home site owners or the person appointed to manage the site, unless exempted by the regulations.
What this means from the 1 October 2021 unless the site is exempt the site owner must either be a fit and proper person to lawfully operate a park home site or have a fit and proper site manager in place.
What must site owners do
From the 1 July until midnight on the 30 September 2021 site owners operating a relevant protected site must apply to the local authority to be included in the local register of fit and proper persons to manage a site
The regulations do include exceptions these can be found in the guidance document below:
What is a fit and proper person?
Any applicant applying to go onto the register will have to show that there are suitable financial and management arrangements in place for the site and to provide information relating to their conduct in relation to any of the following:
- Offences relating to fraud, dishonesty, violence, arson or drugs or listed in schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
- Contraventions of law in relation to: housing, caravan sites, mobile homes, public health, planning or environmental health or landlord and tenant law.
- Contraventions of law in relation to the Equality Act 2010, or in connection with the carrying out of any business.
- Harassment of any person in connection with the carrying out of any business.
- Insolvency within the last 10 years.
- Disqualification from acting as a company director within the last 10 years.
- Has the right to work in the UK