our recently acquired caravan of a few months is standing in a lay-by in a quiet street with very little traffic and isn't harming anyone or anything but our next door neighbour received a letter recently complaining that their caravan (council posted to wrong house) needs to be moved as its obstructing the public highway (bo****ks).
I've got pics of it in the lay-by, sat over the councils lamp post base which is an obstruction itself! to save parking spaces
We live in a council owned house and are currently looking for a house exchange for one with a driveway unless we can sort something out asap as we like sitting in it on an evening to escape lol.
A friend told me rule 103 of the highways act says if its hooked up to a car they can't do owt? other say I need to remove the standings its on (bricks) and others stuff so I thought there's nowhere better to ask than here :)
first of all the caravan needs to be road worthy, so put the wheels back on it! next would be to get some storage sorted asap for it, you don't want the council having any reason to stop your house move do you?
How it works..anything parked on the public highway(which includes laybys & pavements)is technically causing an obstruction because it is preventing the public using that bit of public highway, so you cannot actually present any argument that it is not causing an obstruction.
If you are required by the council/police/parking warden to move any vehicle even if it is parked in what would be regarded as a 'legal' parking place with no yellow lines or other restrictions, then you must remove it.
Councils can use this to require removal of any vehicle or other obstruction they do not want parked in that particular place. If you leave a caravan in the road for any length of time, usually you will be required to move it, as you have found.
You can try leaving it attached to your car & tell them you will be moving it shortly & so on but eventually if you do not you will be required to do so.
Quote: Originally posted by Billy x on 29/5/2015
You can try leaving it attached to your car & tell them you will be moving it shortly & so on but eventually if you do not you will be required to do so.
A couple of years ago some friends of mine, who lived in a council house at the time, brought their caravan from the storage site and parked it in the small car park at the side of their house while they did some maintenence work on it and packed it up ready for a 3-week holiday in France. It wasn't actually on the road and wasn't causing an obstruction but someone complained about it and a council guy came to check it out - when told the reason for it being there he said it was okay as long as it was attached to the car and could be moved if required.
If you have yours on bricks that suggests it's there permanently and as such could be classed as causing an obstruction - hitch it to your car and you MAY ( but don't take this as gospel as all councils are different) be okay until you can find an alternative.
------------- Tigermouse
I have a very temperamental personality - 50% temper and 50% mental
My understanding is that Councils have discretion over caravans on the public highway. They are legally entitled to demand that they are moved, but not all councils do it.
Thats right. If nobody complains you will be ok but you have no defence if required to move it. Not just caravans but also trucks & roadside car salesmen taking up parking space with their bangers.
thanks for the replies guys, it looks like someone's complained as I've been advised that the council only come out to look if someone's complained about it.
I can store it at a friends house no bother for now but I think a house with a drive will be better as I like to use it as an escape :)
The only way that you will not upset anyone is to use a storage site.
Many private houses have covenants on them prohibiting caravans from being kept in the front of the premises and presumably councils can put similar restrictions on their property.
Let's face it, whilst we all love our caravans , not everyone wants to see one in their neighbours garden.
Daves1
Maybe worthwhile finding out who actually owns that piece of land.
Will cost£10.00 (if I recall) on the Land Registry but who knows it may be unregistered in which case you could register it and tell the council to sling their hooks.
I know someone who bought a piece of roadside that the highways agency said was theirs but actually wasn't.
If my caravan is attached it's part of the vehicle and also legal.
If I put a shed on the road outside my house I would probably find myself in a spot of bother - which is in effect what you've done, especially if you've got it on blocks.
People in my street have never seen my caravan as I keep it in storage, and probably don't even know I have one.
If someone put a caravan on bricks close to my house for the long-term I'd probably complain.
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
Quote: Originally posted by Hairywol on 01/6/2015
If I park my taxed car on the highway it's legal.
If my caravan is attached it's part of the vehicle and also legal.
If I put a shed on the road outside my house I would probably find myself in a spot of bother - which is in effect what you've done, especially if you've got it on blocks.
People in my street have never seen my caravan as I keep it in storage, and probably don't even know I have one.
If someone put a caravan on bricks close to my house for the long-term I'd probably complain.