Skip to main content

Licensing of Mobile Home Parks

Volume 532: debated on Monday 5 September 2011

The Petition of the residents of Palma Park Homes, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Declares that the Petitioners are concerned about the standards of conduct exhibited by the owner of Palma Park Homes.

The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to introduce a fair, clear and simple licensing system for those owning mobile home parks, so that licence holders must show that they are fit and proper persons to hold such a licence, and that any regulations or legislation should set out how a licence may be revoked if a licence holder is found by the local authority to no longer meet the fit and proper criteria.

And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Nicky Morgan, Official Report, 18 July 2011; Vol. 531, c. 762-63.]

[P000945]

Observations from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, received 18 August 2011:

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government observes that a licensing system is already in place for mobile home sites under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. He plans to consult shortly on reforms to the current regime with a view to making it more effective in protecting the health, safety and welfare of residents. However, the Secretary of State is not convinced that a requirement that all site owners are fit and proper is necessary or would be effective in delivering protection to residents. He is concerned that such a requirement would place an undue bureaucratic and costly burden on local authorities and the many good site owners who manage their sites professionally and lawfully. The proposed licensing reforms, on which he plans to consult, will enable local authorities to target those owners who mismanage their sites and pay scant regard to the law.