Permission required for static caravan?

[Katie]

Hi everyone, we are about to embark on a self build, does anyone know if permission from council is actually required for having static caravan to live in on site during the build? Thanks

[joe90]

This has been raised here a few times, I put a caravan on site for me to live in and paid council tax band a, usually councils don’t bother but a few make it a condition that it’s removed after the house is finished. HOWEVER if you want to retain it (like @ProDave did) you have every right without planning as long as it’s not a complete a accommodation (has bathroom, kitchen etc) so cannot be considered a separate dwelling, people can sleep in it as long as they use the house fir say bathroom or kitchen facilities.

[Tom]

I just added a sentence to our planning permission along the lines of: we also seek permission to site a static caravan next to the build to live in during construction.

No one batted an eyelid so if you are at that stage worth doing. 

[ToughButterCup]

Locally,  West Lancashire,  yes it is.

Where the issue gets interesting is, what happens if,  while you apply for PP,  you set up a caravan but PP is refused, and  also refused at Appeal,  so you contest the subsequent Enforcement Order ( ordering you, your caravan, chattels, pigs, hens, old Landrovers to leave) and exercise your right of Appeal against Enforcement. 

 

When that Appeal Decision goes against you,  you merely suck your teeth and say ...

 

Well, pal, you gonna make uzzz  'omeless then?

 

The Enforcement Officer ( think Brick Sh!thouse , broken nose, forearms the size of my thighs, no neck) camped on my drive to protect the Inspector during his site visit, rolled his eyes when I expressed surprise ...

 

'Appens all 'time lad roun' 'ere lad. All 'time.

 

So far this leedle pantomime has run its course over 6 full years. 

 

It'll finish soon!

Oh no it won't!

[Miller3857]

You don’t need planning to site a mobile home.

Under permitted development it allows the siting of a temporary/moveable structure that is required temporarily in connection with and for the duration of the operations being carried out.

We have recently completed a barn conversion where we lived in a mobile home for 15 years on site  (I told the wife it would be 3-5 years - but that’s a different story). We wrote to the council telling them of our intentions stating under what legislation, we also registered for council tax with no issues.

This legislation does not vary from one authority to another (England) despite what you may have read on this post. My advice is be confident when dealing with the council, the bottom line is the law  allows you to do it, the council may not like it but such is life! 

 

[Katie]

7 minutes ago, Miller3857 said:

You don’t need planning to site a mobile home.

Under permitted development it allows the siting of a temporary/moveable structure that is required temporarily in connection with and for the duration of the operations being carried out.

We have recently completed a barn conversion where we lived in a mobile home for 15 years on site  (I told the wife it would be 3-5 years - but that’s a different story). We wrote to the council telling them of our intentions stating under what legislation, we also registered for council tax with no issues.

This legislation does not vary from one authority to another (England) despite what you may have read on this post. My advice is be confident when dealing with the council, the bottom line is the law  allows you to do it, the council may not like it but such is life! 

 

That's very helpful thank you. 

[ProDave]

A few points.

 

You don't get permitted development rights until the house is complete, so that does not help you putting a caravan in your garden.

 

When i applied for planning I put the static caravan on.  It came back with the default clause "the static caravan is to be removed upon occupation of the house." (that might not be the exact wording)

 

I wanted to keep my static caravan for other uses.  I pointed out to the planners that on the day of completion, I could remove the caravan, and then immediately replace it with an identical caravan in an identical position and it would be permitted development.

 

They then changed the wording to "habitational use of the static caravan shall cease upon occupation of the house"  So my caravan can stay but not as a residence.

[ToughButterCup]

6 hours ago, Katie said:

.... if permission from council is actually required for having static caravan to live in on site during the build? ...

 

My sincere and inexpert advice is,  once PP has been awarded,  to ask informally . A little bit of polite deference oils the wheels 

[Katie]

Thanks all, we are buying land which already has the permission granted so don't have the option to add that wording. We have called the council but we're not given a clear answer and said we have to pay £80 to find out and then if permission needed pay another £200. Not huge amounts I know but I'd rather not if I don't have to. Interesting to hear everyone's experiences.

[Miller3857]

ProDave you are confusing permitted development rights which you do get when the dwelling is completed, unless of course the council have either restricted or withdrawn them and with what I am quoting - two different things.

[ProDave]

8 minutes ago, Miller3857 said:

ProDave you are confusing permitted development rights which you do get when the dwelling is completed, unless of course the council have either restricted or withdrawn them and with what I am quoting - two different things.

All I am saying is you don't get those PD rights until the dwelling is completed.  So before then you can't just site a caravan under PD rights.

[Bitpipe]

3 hours ago, ProDave said:

A few points.

 

You don't get permitted development rights until the house is complete, so that does not help you putting a caravan in your garden.

 

Depends if it's a demolish and rebuild or a green field development.

 

We did the former and sited the caravan at the rear of the house in the garden in the summer, good year ahead of the build starting (was an opportunistic purchase). Took another 8 months to get it connected to services (power, fouls, electricity) and we moved into it the next Easter. Works did not start until July that year. At the point where we deregistered the existing  house for CT, we registered the caravan.

 

No issues, however once the house was up and occupied the LA were round like a shot to get it on the CT register and we only got a 50% reduction on the caravan until such times it was removed from site.

 

The planning enforcement did get fussy over the container that was to the front of the property as it had no PP and was visible from street. We managed to get it shifted within the month so it never went further than an initial letter.

 

 

 

[ToughButterCup]

2 hours ago, Katie said:

... but I'd rather not if I don't have to....

Exactly the right approach. 

 

Pay £80. Ask. Listen. Highly unlikely you'll need permission. 

 

Good luck!

[Temp]

6 hours ago, Miller3857 said:

You don’t need planning to site a mobile home.

Under permitted development it allows the siting of a temporary/moveable structure that is required temporarily in connection with and for the duration of the operations being carried out.

We have recently completed a barn conversion where we lived in a mobile home for 15 years on site  (I told the wife it would be 3-5 years - but that’s a different story). We wrote to the council telling them of our intentions stating under what legislation, we also registered for council tax with no issues.

This legislation does not vary from one authority to another (England) despite what you may have read on this post. My advice is be confident when dealing with the council, the bottom line is the law  allows you to do it, the council may not like it but such is life! 

 

 

 

+1

 

Some councils have a very strict interpretation  of this. It generally accepted that this covers a van used as living accommodation for site workers.  However if other people live in the van some councils insist planning permission is required. For example children cannot work on building sites so cannot be site workers. Likewise a spouse that does no work on the house wouldn't be considered a site worker. So if anyone asks you all work on the site at least evenings and weekends.

 

[joe90]

14 hours ago, Katie said:

Thanks all, we are buying land which already has the permission granted so don't have the option to add that wording. We have called the council but we're not given a clear answer and said we have to pay £80 to find out and then if permission needed pay another £200. Not huge amounts I know but I'd rather not if I don't have to. Interesting to hear everyone's experiences.

I would just do it, offer to pay council tax (band A) what’s the worst that can happen?, if they do get stroppy then file a retrospective application but frankly you may well have finished the house by the time the council get their act together (and I would fight it quoting @Temp post above). 

[Stones]

 

[Katie]

Hi All, thanks for all advice, had answer from council today in writing no permission required, happy days.