Caravans, Mobile Homes and the Planning System: A Practical Guide for UK Planners

Caravans and mobile homes sit at one of the most treacherous intersections in English planning law — where the Caravan Sites Acts and the Town and Country Planning Act collide. The statutory tests are technical, the case law is unforgiving, and the mistakes made by planners and consultants are depressingly consistent.

This practical guide cuts through the confusion. Written by a chartered planner with forty years of development management experience, it takes you through the full analytical framework: statutory definitions, the twin-unit problem, when installation crosses into building operations, curtilage and ancillary use, permitted development rights, enforcement strategy, certificates of lawfulness, and the 2025 fee regime.

Ten chapters cover everything from the Measor principle and the Carter/Byrne line of cases to seven worked case study scenarios drawn from real-world planning situations — agricultural worker caravans, garden lodges, self-build siting, holiday park upgrades, and more. A dedicated chapter dismantles the myths and traps that regularly catch out even experienced practitioners.

If you deal with caravan and mobile home cases — whether as a development management officer, consultant, or enforcement specialist — this is the reference you need on your desk.

Accurate to December 2025. Includes key case law, appeal decision analysis, statutory references, and practice notes throughout.