Agenda item

The Director presented the following report to the Committee:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       This report sets out how the model conditions for Caravan and Campsites have been updated by the Department for Infrastructure in July 2025.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to note the background to the model conditions and the updated model conditions for Caravan and Campsites (in Appendix 1 and 2 on mod.gov) and agree that they will be adopted by the Council and referenced on our website.

3.0       Main report

            Under the Caravans Act (Northern Ireland) 1963 (‘1963 Act’) the development of caravan sites and their physical standards are controlled through:

1.     planning permission granted for the use of land as a caravan site and

2.     the 1963 Act’s site licensing system.

            Applications for a caravan site licence must be made to the Council. There is no charge to apply.

            There are currently no licensed caravan or camping sites in the Belfast Area.

            Before applying for a licence, the operator must have:

-       Secured planning permission,

-       Sufficient insurance,

-       Met the appropriate licence conditions.

            The Department has a role in providing Model Licence Conditions regulating the layout and provision of facilities, services and equipment for caravan sites including water supply, electricity and fire points.

            In drawing up the conditions which will attach to any licence, councils must have regard to the Model Licence Conditions. 

            Updated model conditions were published by the Department for Infrastructure on 1 July 2025. These conditions revise and update the Model Licence Conditions for Caravan Sites 1992 (Holiday Caravan Sites) and Model Licence Conditions 1994 (Residential Caravan Sites) and apply to:

•        permanent residential caravan sites;

•        holiday caravan sites; and

•        touring caravan sites

            This review has been prompted by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Travellers’ Accommodation in NI’ investigation report published on 6 March 2018. The report made a number of recommendations for public authorities, including that the Department should:

            ‘review the legal and policy framework concerning site licences. This should include the development of a model site licence setting out the minimum standard of provision and safety requirements for each type of Travellers site in NI, along with enforcement powers for any breach.’

            The Department has accepted this recommendation and has published a stand-alone set of Model Licence Conditions for Traveller Sites.

            While addressing the report’s recommendation the Department has also taken the opportunity to update and amalgamate the current Model Licence Conditions for holiday caravan sites as well as residential caravan sites into one document, creating greater clarity and ease of reference for councils and stakeholders.

            Although the conditions remain largely unchanged there are some revisions and updates including to emergency telephones, flood risk and fire safety measures.

            The updated licensing conditions represent what would normally be expected as a matter of good practice on all caravan sites and should be applied with due regard to the particular circumstances of each case, including the physical character of the site, any facilities or services that may already be available within convenient reach, and other local conditions. 

4.0       Financial & Resource Implications

4.1       There are no financial or resource implications that arise as a result of this report.

5.0       Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

5.1       There are no issues associated with this report.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.