enforcement caravan - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

whilst we may offer our opinions, it seems to me your best course is to have this discussion with the local authority.

- a mobile home did not require permission as it is a caravan;

- you changed this to a building;

- the council served an enforcement notice on it, so you changed it back to the original caravan;

- have you informed the council of this? do they acknowledge this?

best explain fully, and always consider how a judge might view the situation IF you end up in court. but the enforcement process if usually quite slow and give all parties plenty of time to reflect.

There are basically 2 ways to allow the caravan to stay 

1). The caravan is in the curtalage of the property this can be only used as ancilery to the house and not rented out to a seperate person

2) as an agricultural building for use for agricultural purposes but not lived in overnight or used for storage not associated with farming

you need to choose one of these and inform the council which should give them no grounds for objection

I am finding it increasingly common for councils object 

which can happen with councils deskilling and not being familiar with the rules or just bluffing when they know their aproach will not stand you objection

The council have been informed that it is now a caravan used for agricultural purposes and have given me 8 week to remove it.

Thanks again

Neil 

No reason given.

Thanks

Nicholas

neil

the enforcement notice should state reason for enforcement and what is required to rectify

Yes Nicholas

It stated remove the building i removed the extention to the caravan that made it a building thinking i had complied but they require the caravan moving as well.

Thanks

Neil

Thank you all for your kind responses it is clear that you are all extremely knowledgeable on this subject may I therefor ask a few more questions?

Is there any limit in law to the number of caravans allowed with in the curtilage of a house (garden area)?

I have an old touring caravan with in the curtilage of my house that is used to store garden tools etc. it is past its sell by date, would it be possible to rebuild it using timber on the original chassis so that it is the same size and movable or would the council class that as a building operation and say it is no longer a caravan?

Thank you

Neil    

Thank you Nicholas and Ted for your kind advice.

just noticed you said enforcement notice stated "............................remove the building"

are these their words or yours?

legal point = "caravan" is not a "building"

you removed the extention to the caravan that made it a building

I agree, that should satisfy, so why do they want the caravan moving as well ?

Grounds for resistance and Appeal here

Yes Nicholas their words the building, yet they still insist on its removal as it formed part of the enforcment notice when it was part of the building whether this is correct i do not know.

Thanks for your advice.

Neil  

They could try arguing that the caravan should go, To prevent them insiting on the fact the caravan was part and parcel of an enforcment notice in the past you need to point out to them that you can move it tomorrow and either bring it back or bring another one back the day after making there enforcement pointless. They are likely to agree with keepng the one you have, as if they continued with enforcent action and you replected the caravan they would have to explain there actions in waisting money to enforicne the unenforceable

The one thing planning offices dont like it been made to look as though they are waisting council money as there  bosses are the planing commitee who have to acount for all expenditure

Thanks again Ted, that is definitely food for thought.