Caravan site and campsite licences in the Selby area

Please submit licensing applications electronically. Applications can be scanned or photographed (please make sure they are readable). If you need advice or have a query about an application or licence, please contact us.

Eligibility criteria

You must be entitled to use the land as a caravan site. Licences will not be issued to applicants who have had a site licence revoked within three years of the current application.

Using land as a caravan site is prohibited unless the occupier holds a site licence issued by the local authority. There are some exceptions which are listed below:

• where a caravan is sited with 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 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

Application process

Applications for site licences are made to the local authority where the land is situated.

Applications must be in writing, should detail the land the application concerns and any other information required by the local authority.

Fill in and return the correct application form below:

•  caravan and campsite licence application (pdf / 202 KB)
•  application to transfer a caravan and campsite licence (pdf / 153 KB)

Please return your completed application to us. Contact us for details.

A licence will usually be issued within two months of an application. Contact us for more information.

Fees

We charge a fee for applying for a licence, any amendments or transfers of existing licenses and an annual fee. View our licensing fees and charges.

If you don't pay, your licence may be revoked. We can serve compliance notices on site owners where site licence conditions are breached. The notices set out what the breach is, what works are required and timescale for completion. Any notice will attract a fee.

Licence conditions

To run a caravan and camping site in the Selby area you need a licence from the council.

Conditions may be attached to a licence to cover any of the following:

• restricting when caravans can be on the site for human habitation or restricting the number of caravans that can be on the site at any one time
• controlling the types of caravans on the site
• controlling the positioning of the caravans or regulating the use of other structures and vehicles including tents
• to ensure steps are taken enhance the land, including planting/replanting bushes and trees
• fire safety and fire fighting controls
• to ensure that sanitary and other facilities, services and equipment are supplied and maintained

We may alter conditions at any time but must give licence holders the opportunity to make representations about the proposed changes. If a licence holder disagrees with the alterations they may appeal to the local magistrates' court within 28 days of the written notification of the alteration and a notice of appeal must be served on the local district council.

If you are a caravan site occupier, you should have a licence already but you should check that your name, the site name and address is correct and up to date. Also check that the licence corresponds with your planning permission. If not, you should send us the licence for re-issue.

If you have recently become a caravan site occupier, licences are transferable to a new occupier but the law requires us to give consent for the transfer. You should send us the licence with a request for transfer and we will either endorse or re-issue it.

If you are a potential site occupier, you or your legal advisor should check that all the land used for siting caravans has planning permission and that the details correspond with the site licence. If you wish to change the use of the land to a permanent caravan site use you must have planning permission before a licence can be issued.

Residential mobile homes only

Recent legislation has changed the rules around selling and gifting of park homes. There have also been changes relating to the rules for annual pitch fees and site rules. We charge a fee for all site licensing functions. We check licence conditions are met and carry out enforcement action where needed.   

The conditions cover many different issues to ensure that the welfare, health and safety of site residents are protected and to restrict the possibility of nuisance to adjacent land and property.

We would recommend that anyone thinking of purchasing or renting a mobile home (aka as a park home) as a permanent residence should seek legal advice on their rights and responsibilities.

Deposited site rules

Site rules are different to site licence conditions and are put into place by the owner of the site to ensure acceptable standards are maintained which will benefit the occupiers or will promote community cohesion on the site.

The Mobile Homes Act 2013 legislation specifies that site rules are to be agreed between both residents and the site owner and identify the method by which this is to be undertaken using specific timetables and forms. Following the implementation of the Act existing site rules had to be replaced by new rules agreed by both parties. These new site rules should be deposited with the local authority.

We will keep an up to date register of site rules for any relevant protected (residential) sites. Before publishing the site rules the council will check that the rules deposited have been made in accordance with the statutory procedures.

Deposited site rules disclaimer

We accept no responsibility it there are errors or omissions regarding the site rules. We do not endorse or approve these site rules. We are not responsible for their content or enforcement.