Housing Minister to consult on improving park homes licensing regime

The government has announced plans to modernise the licensing of caravan and park home sites and to improve the ability of local authorities to monitor and enforce licences better.

The proposals – part of a package of measures that will be put out to consultation in the Spring – would see councils given the power to charge site owners for licensing.

“This is a function that is currently funded by the tax payer or not provided at all to a satisfactory standard where authorities do not have the resources,” the Department for Communities and Local Government said.

Local authorities could also be handed the power to carry out emergency works and to charge the cost back to the owners.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps suggested that improved monitoring and enforcement would provide better protection for the many thousands of mainly older people who live on sites of this nature.

The reforms would see the transfer of most of the powers currently assigned to the county courts under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 to residential property tribunals. “This removes the prospect of large legal costs which currently puts park home residents off taking action to resolve disputes with site owners,” the DCLG said.

Site owners will also be prevented from unreasonably blocking sales of homes, with the removal of their role in approving purchasers.

The Housing Minister said: "Park homes play an important role in the housing market by offering an affordable alternative to mainstream housing for many people, and the reforms I intend to consult on will modernise the licensing system and make it more effective in ensuring that sites are safe and properly managed.”

Shapps said many residents appreciated the sense of community that park home living offers, but added that there was concern about possible abuse by unscrupulous site owners.

“Failings by site owners can significantly impact upon the well-being of the local communities,” the minister said. "And that is why I have announced my intention to consult on giving courts the power to impose higher fines for the most serious breaches of licences, allow councils to carry out works where site owners refuse to do so, and extend the role of the Residential Property Tribunal in the sales process.”