Caravan site licence

To run a caravan, or a combined caravan and camping site, a licence is required. The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act, 1960 prohibits the use of land as a caravan site unless the occupier holds a valid site licence issued by the local authority.

There are exceptions:

A caravan sited with the curtilage of a dwelling and its use is incidental to the dwelling. This means it cannot be occupied separately
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
Travelling showpeople sites
Sites for temporary and special purposes such as caravan rallies, agricultural and forestry workers, building and engineering sites and travelling salesmen
Other exemptions may apply – contact us for more information.

A licence can only be issued if the site has planning consent. An established use certificate does entitle you to a licence. The consent may limit use to particular types of caravans, for example, motor homes, where access to the site may be difficult. In these cases, the licence should contain the same restrictions.

The number of caravans permitted on the site will be specified on the licence along with other specific conditions that are designed to provide adequate standards of amenities, facilities for users and more importantly to protect their health and safety.

The conditions that apply will depend upon the type of site, for example, residential, holiday static, holiday tourers.

It is in the public interest that the local authority must process your application before the licence can be granted.

There are two types of caravan site licence, following a change in the law on 1 May 2017 and you may need both. You are now required to have either a:

Holiday/Tourer site licence for temporary, holiday type purposes or a
Permanent residential site licence if people live on your site all year round

Please note ‘tent’ only sites do not need a licence but may still require planning permission.

Caravan sites require a licence(s) issued by the local authority to make sure there are adequate roads and pedestrian routes; safe gas and electricity supplies; proper drainage; a clean drinking water supply; adequate lighting; layout and spacing that provides for amenity and privacy; and that appropriate waste collection and disposal arrangements are in place.

Holiday/Tourer site licence

If you operate a mixed holiday/tourer and residential site, please complete a residential site licence application form but indicate on the form you also operate a holiday/tourer site.

You can download the licence application and send it to Environmental Services.

Completed applications must be accompanied by a site plan of appropriate size and detail, showing the layout of roads, caravans, facilities, and site boundaries. Please provide up-to-date certificates for electrical installations, gas installations, and maintenance plans for Private Water Supply systems during the licensing procedure.

There is no fee for an application for a new or amended Holiday/Tourer site licence.

Apply for a holiday/tourer licence

Permanent residential site license

You can download the permanent residential caravan site licence application and send it to Environmental Services.

Permanent residential site applications have a fee of £817.56 for new applications. The Licence must also be renewed every 5 years. There is no fee for an application to transfer a site licence to a new applicant within the current licence period but there will be a renewal fee.

For further information, please see the Changes to the Licensing of Residential Mobile Home Sites in Scotland: Information leaflet for Residents and the Guidance to Local Authorities on the Licensing System for Mobile Homes Sites With Permanent Residents.

Apply for a permanent residential licence

On receiving your application we will check that it contains all of the requested information, including the site plan and where relevant, the appropriate licence fee. Should further information be required we will ask you to provide this.

We will make a decision on your application no later than 3 months after we have received all of the required information, together with the relevant fee where appropriate.

The licence will stop when the planning consent expires.

A licence for touring and/or holiday sites is permanent.

A licence for residential sites lasts for up to 5 years. The licence holder should apply for renewal.

If the land is sold, the licence will only pass to the new owner if the previous owner applies to the council for consent under Section 10. Contact us for more information.

No, although anyone can object to the planning permission.

There is no fee for an application for a new or amended Holiday/Tourer site licence.

Permanent residential site applications have a fee of £817.56 for new applications. There is no fee for an application to transfer a site licence to a new applicant within the current licence period but there will be a fee for renewal.

The applicant 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.

Site occupiers

If you are a caravan site occupier - you should have a licence already but check that your name, the site name and the 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. If the previous licence holder has not done so 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 approval, before a licence can be issued.

Licences have conditions that may include:

The maximum number of mobile homes to be stationed on the site.
The type of caravan, for example, residential, static holiday or touring.
The permitted density (the number per acre/hectare) and the spacing between caravans.
Ensuring sanitary and other facilities, water supply, drainage, services and equipment are supplied and maintained.
The construction of roads and the requirement to provide access for emergency vehicles
Requirements for pedestrian routes
Requirements relating to gas and electricity supplies
Requirements for lighting
Ensuring arrangements are in place for the collection and disposal of waste

If after considering your application the Local Authority decides to reject the application we must:

Tell you we have decided to refuse the application
Give our reasons for refusal on the same day we inform you of our decision
Tell you that you can appeal, and how to do so; and
Tell you how long you have to lodge an appeal

You are advised therefore to contact us as soon as possible if you are considering lodging an appeal.

If the Local Authority refuses an application for a site licence in Scotland, the applicant may by Summary application appeal to the Sheriff against the decision.