It has been mentioned to my partner in passing that our caravan shouldn't be parked on the roadside out side my house. I have had a look but unable to find any law or restictions for caravans. It is on a bus route on a minor road but isn't causing any obstuction. It's not always on the roadside but it is difficult to get on and off the drive and as most weekends whilst the weather is good we are make use of it and go away in it. I hope to get more information from the council if there is a problem with where it is but I would like to know before drawing attention to it any information anyone knows of regarding this or similar situations.
Please Help with any information or experiences like this. Thanks ....
Quote: I have had a look but unable to find any law or restictions for caravans. It is on a bus route on a minor road but isn't causing any obstuction.
It's on a public road and isn't moving so legally it IS causing an obstruction. Also, no road tax has been paid, it wont have lights at night, etc.
If it was a skip you'd need lights, council permission and warning bollards. I expect you need at least the same things for a caravan.
------------- Paul
Discounted Insurance Quotes for UKCampsite.co.uk visitors! Up to 12.5% off!
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
What we will do
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
What can I do if I own a caravan?
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 aways 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
Remember
The street is not a caravan park
Any parking, other than loading or unloading or because you are waiting for repairs following a breakdown is against the law
Caravans may not be covered by insurance when parked on streets
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
------------- Rachael xxxx
A balanced life is a glass of wine in each hand :O)
I don't think it is a good idea to keep it on the road. If you have difficulty getting it on/off your driveway you could consider fitting a Motor Mover.
Any Caravan parked on a public road can be classed as causing an obtruction, but in any case its vunerable to damage whether accidental or otherwise, my advice is find somewhere to move it to.More disputes caused over caravans and trailers parked on roads than any other.
------------- Had a 2 year break from camping but ff to france this summer hopefully
Any vehicle parked on the public highway ( different definitions of a road ) unless parked in a designated parking bay could be classified as causing an obstruction. The paragraph from the council document about them informing the police and the police arranging recovery is rubbish. The police only arrange recovery for vehicles left in a dangerous position or involved in an accident or subject of crime. If a report of a possible abandoned vehicle is received and after having conducted some enquiries to trace an owner then the police would inform the local authority and THEY would apply for a seven day order and THEY would recover the vehicle. With the deregulation of parking offences this is now the responsibilty of the local authority. There is no one offence of parking a caravan on the highway, there can as already stated be local bye laws covering this and some of the points covered in the council advice may be sensible but not legally binding, but I agree totally with the thoughts of leaving my pride and joy on the road for any length of time
This is a massive grey area and has been for many years with most councils. The best option is to contact YOUR local council and see what they have to say. In most cases the Police will not intervene unless a complaint has been made or the parking of the caravan/trailer is deemed to be dangerous.
Best thing to do is try and make it easier to get the caravan in and out of your driveway. As for what an insurance company will pay out on or not as the case may be, read the small print in your Policy Schedule.
it is my understanding that you can leave the caravan parked on the highway but it must have the lights on during the hours of darkness. ive seen a few caravans parked on the road (not lit up at night) they dont seem to make an obstruction but all seem to be filthy with road grime. wouldnt personally leave it in the road though due to the increased risk of vandalism.
I too wondered about if we could park the caravan on the road outside the house whilst we loaded / unloaded it, It would be hitched up to the car at all times.
My wife and I have been asked to move our caravan by the local council off the road where it’s parked outside our house. Never any trouble with parking and a car drives by about every 20/25 minutes but somehow they are still classing it as an “obstruction” (it’s a tiny freedom Jetstream micro caravan) anyway whatever we are now selling it anyway due to having a little one now. My wife though even after explaining to the council she just had c section surgery unable to drive and tow a caravan for weeks are still saying it has to be moved within the next 4 weeks can they legally do this when the medical grounds surely take priority? Especially when we’ve been so transparent with them and told them we are selling it and have every intention to get rid of it now, it just feels like a pen pushing jobs worth exercising his powers with no lack of understanding or empathy towards the situation. It’s causing her undue stress with her blood pressure always being high which is really not needed at the moment these councils are a disgrace we have gypsies parked up down the road from here but of course they never tell them to move on the spineless little weasels prefer to target us