NAPC have recently obtained a Certificate of Lawfulness on behalf of a client based in Chorley, within the North-West Green Belt, to site a twin-unit mobile home.
Site Background
The client’s site is based in Brindle, Chorley, and encompasses an extensive area of over 2,300 square metres. The site is in the North-West Green Belt, a designation that covers several counties across the north-west of England, including Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, and Greater Manchester. The purpose of the North-West Green Belt is to prevent the cities, towns and villages in this region from merging, therefore preventing coalescence.
Green Belt
Development in the green belt is heavily controlled and often resisted by most local planning authorities (LPAs), to preserve the openness of the countryside and prevent the uncontrolled growth and expansion of these urban areas. Most development within the Green Belt is regarded as harmful to the openness of the green belt and is therefore inappropriate. As such, getting mobile home planning in green belt can often be very difficult.
Link – https://www.cpre.org.uk/explainer/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-green-belt/
Certificate of Lawfulness
To overcome the strict green belt designation, rather than applying for planning permission, NAPC advised this client to apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness (COL) for the proposed use of the land to site a mobile home (caravan). To site a mobile home within the residential curtilage of one’s property does not require planning permission, as this is a use of the land, as opposed to the development of the land. Mobile homes are not considered to be development, as they are temporary structures, and so can in theory be moved from one place to another.
The COL provided written confirmation from the LPA (Chorley Council) that the proposed mobile home did not require planning permission, provided it would always be used as ancillary to the main dwellinghouse, and not be used as an entirely separate dwelling (which would otherwise require planning permission).
Link – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/lawful-development-certificates
Outcome
The LPA were satisfied that the proposed mobile home met the legal definition of a caravan, as per the Caravan Sites Act 1968, and would be used as ancillary to the main dwelling. Therefore, they confirmed that the proposal did not require planning permission and were able to grant the Certificate of Lawfulness.
Key Takeaway
Being in locations that have strict planning designations, such as the green belt, can make obtaining planning permission more difficult, but that does not mean your proposal is not viable. Whilst not a silver bullet, routes such as obtaining a Certificate of Lawfulness for a mobile home can often make achieving your proposal more feasible in locations where planning is more restricted. This provides the best possible chance of success for your proposal being approved by the LPA.
Get in Touch if you are looking for Mobile Home Planning in Green Belt
If you live in a location that is covered by a planning designation, such as the green belt, or you would like some more information about a Certificates of Lawfulness or the Caravan Act, then please get in touch and one of our expert planners will be happy to assist you with your enquiry.
There are a number of ways in which we can achieve Mobile Home Planning in green belt – Learn more: www.napc.uk | Email us: info@napc.uk Call us: 01285 283200
