Parking and living in a caravan in the street

My neighbour intends to live in a caravan whilst parked on the road outside his house. Is this legal?

The street is not a caravan park and your local authority will almost certainly act if he chooses to live in it.

Parking caravans on the street can cause a number of problems, for example they may:

• block the street illegally
• be a safety hazard to pedestrians, particularly children
• prevent or limit access for other vehicles
• block windows and shut out daylight
• be an eyesore
• be dangerous, for example if they are unstable or have gas cylinders attached

If a caravan is illegally parked or is causing a problem, Council officers will investigate to find the owner and see why it is parked on the street. The owner will be asked to remove the caravan and will then be sent a notice requiring it to be moved within 14 days (a copy will be attached to the caravan)

If the caravan is still there after 14 days, the Police will be informed and they will arrange for the caravan to be removed to a storage compound. The owner will only be able to get the caravan back if they pay the costs of removal and storage

Caravan owners should be responsible:

• Think of your neighbours before you get a caravan. If you do not have suitable parking at home then arrange to store the caravan at a storage compound  - see yellow pages or the local newspapers for details
• Remember that parking the caravan on the driveway at the front of your house may still cause problems to the neighbours and, in some cases is not allowed under the title deeds for the house - check with your solicitor if you are unsure
• If you need to park the caravan in the street to load or unload, limit this to one day and always park outside your own house. Tell your neighbours what you are doing and how long the caravan will be there
• Do not carry out repairs or maintenance on the street
• Make sure that the caravan is stable and that any hazards are removed and that gas bottles are isolated whilst it is parked on the street
• Do not allow people to live in the caravan or run electricity cables across the street
• Never pour dirty water onto the street or into the road gullies - these gullies may go to the nearest beck and cause water pollution

1. The street is not a caravan park
2. Any parking, other than loading or unloading or because you are waiting for repairs following a breakdown is against the law
3. Caravans may not be covered by insurance when parked on streets
4. It against the law to park on the street at night without warning lights and you should always ensure that you park the caravan with the reflectors facing on-coming traffic

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