Licence - caravan site / camping site
Any “Occupier”, that is, any person who has a legal interest in
a piece of land in the Maidstone Borough and wants to use it as a
public Caravan Site or a Camping Site, must have a licence issued
by Maidstone Borough Council.
Before you apply for a licence you must have
planning permission or an Established Use Certificate for the use
of the land as a caravan or camping site.
You will not be allowed a licence if you have had
a licence revoked in the last three years.
Caravan site licensing
Not all caravan sites need licences! More information is
available in our factsheet.
There are generally three types of licensable caravan site:
- Residential – Often referred to as Park Homes,
- Holiday,
- Touring.
Each type of site has Model Conditions recommended by the
Government and these may be attached to any site licence granted.
The council can also add any other condition that it thinks is
relevant to the site and is legal (although this is rare).
Conditions are placed on a licence to control caravan numbers,
spacing, density, and infrastructure requirements (roads,
footpaths, sanitation, support facilities, utilities, fire safety
and refuse control). Other restrictions may control when caravans
are on the site, or how the site is enhanced with tree and shrub
planting etc.
Model Conditions.
The Councils adopted model conditions can be
found
here from which you can download for guidance. Please be aware
that other conditions can be added to deal with specific matters on
specific sites.
1) Residential
Caravan Site Model Conditions for Commercial and Large
Sites
2) Residential
Caravan Site Model Conditions for Small/Single Family Sites
3) Holiday Caravan
Site Model Conditions
4) Touring Caravan
Site Model Conditions
The following are designated as Holiday Sites
with the following occupation periods during which time the
caravans are permitted to be used for human habitation.
1. Stately Park, Station Road, Nettlestead Green, Maidstone ME18
5HW.
Operative 1st March to
31st December
2.Riverside Caravan Park, Twyford Bridge, Yalding, Kent ME 19
6JH
Operative 4th March to
2nd January following (Site under development)
3. Little Venice Country Park and
Marina, Hampstead Lane, Yalding, Kent ME18 6HH.
Operative 28/29th February to
1st November (3 Pitches residential)
4. Medway Wharf Marina, Bow Bridge,
Wateringbury, Kent ME18 5ED
Operative 1st March to
31st October.
5. Pilgrims Retreat, Hogbarn Lane,
Harrietsham, Maidstone, Kent. ME17 1NZ
Operative 4th March to
2nd January following (18 pitches residential) and 25
touring pitches.
6. Cherry Tree Park, Church Hill,
Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, ME17 4BU.
Operative 1st March to
13th January following (Site under development).
The following are designated as Touring Sites:
1. The Finches, Caravan and camping Park, Chartway Street,
Kingswood, maidstone, Kent ME17 3DU. 20 Caravan units and 20
Camping pitches (Site open 364 days per year (site closed 9th and
10th January in a leap year)).
Other caravan and camping sites under the control of The Camping
and Caravanning Club are available within the borough but these do
not need a licence as they are an exempted organisation. Sites can
be found via their website http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/ukcampsites/
Please note: any licence condition cannot change
any material planning condition imposed on the site.
Camp site licensing
Any person who wishes to operate a camping site for more than 42
consecutive days, or more than 60 days in any one year, must apply
to the Council for a licence.
Camping with tents is not usually permitted in a caravan site,
although mixed sites may have separate areas for camping.
Any licence issued may have conditions attached to control
numbers, density and space of the tents as well as the provision of
a suitable water supply and the maintenance of sanitary conditions
at the site.
Planning permission or an Established Use
Certificate will be required if you intend to operate a camping
site for more than 28 days in any one year. Without proof of this
we cannot process your application.
Applying for a licence
No fee is chargeable for applications. A valid application for a
caravan site has to contain:-
- Name, address and contact details for the applicant.
- The type of caravan or camping site the licence is required
for.
- The number of caravans or tents to be stationed on the site for
human habitation at any one time
- A 1/500 scale plan showing boundaries, caravan standings, and
where appropriate, roads, footpaths, sanitation facilities, stores
and other buildings, foul and surface water drainage, water supply,
recreation spaces, parking.
- Details of arrangements for refuse disposal and for sewage and
waste water disposal.
- A copy of the relevant Planning Permission/Established Use
Certificate for the site.
Scanned copies of the scale plan and relevant planning documents
are needed to apply online. Please note: your application will not
be complete without these documents, which you can upload on the
online forms below. Alternatively, you can choose to post them to
us at the address below.
Apply online
Please keep us up to date with any changes to your
business.
You must have the appropriate Planning Consents to make any
substantial changes to the layout etc. of your site.
If you are surrendering your interest in a camp site, you are
able to transfer your licence to another operator.
Apply by post
Any paper application for any Caravan or Camping Site licence
should be sent to:-
Environmental Health Project Manager
Maidstone House
King Street
Maidstone
Kent
ME 15 6JQ
Our telephone and email address contact details are available on
the right hand side of this page.
What happens next?
You may not consider your application granted
before we have inspected the property, fully processed your
application and consulted with relevant local authorities, such as
the Fire Brigade. This is for reasons of environmental
protection and public health and safety. We aim to process
your application within 8 weeks, and will be in regular contact
with you during this time. If you have not heard back from us
within a reasonable period, please contact us using the details on
the right hand side of the page.
More information
For information on what to do if: your application fails; you
are unsatisfied with conditions on your licence; or you have a
complaint about the running of a caravan or camp site, please refer
to our factsheet.