Lodge Park Planning Permission – What Do You Need to Know?

When setting up a holiday home or lodge for the first time, there is often a fair amount of paperwork you will need to consider.  One of the most important pieces is, of course, Lodge Park Planning Permission. 

Are you building new lodges as part of your own holiday park?  Maybe you are setting up an external property.  In any case, you should always be ready to get permission to set up your new dwelling.  You may even be setting up a lodge park from scratch!

In this guide, we will take a close look at planning permission for holiday homes, and what you need to know before setting up.

LOOKING FOR A HOLIDAY HOME?

Getting Started

Setting up a new holiday lodge or park from scratch, from design to build and installation, means you may need to consult a few bodies to make sure you are operating within the law.  Setting up your own holiday let is one thing, however, and setting up your own park is another.

You will generally require planning permission if you are building a new lodge from scratch, or if you are extending an existing property or dwelling.  This also covers building improvements and upgrades, too.  However, in some cases, you may be able to seek permission in the form of permitted development.  It is worth discussing such options with your local authority or council.

There are two main types of planning permission.  These are full and outline permissions.  Full planning permission will allow you to go ahead and develop your project in its entirety.  However, this will normally need you to submit full plans to your council and to obtain written permission.

An outline permission is less steady, as it is an agreement made in principle.  This means, while an authority approves of your plan, they have not agreed that work can start on building on your site.  In most cases, full planning permission will be the most practical and most efficient.

Contacting Your Local Authority

If you wish to build a lodge or a park, again, it is likely that you will need to appeal to your local council.  It is important to do this as certain rules and regulations will apply depending on who has ownership and oversight of the land you want to set up on.

It is always a good idea to have a plan in mind.  Therefore, rather than undertake any kind of design or blueprint on your own, make sure to consult a professional contractor or architect.  If you already offer this service for a living, then you are two steps ahead of the game already.

If you are setting up a full park for the first time, you may find that your local council looks favourably on your application.  There is no guarantee!  However, do remember that holiday parks bring a huge amount of tourism and money to local areas.  Therefore, if you can prove to your local authority that your plan is profitable and not detrimental to the wider area, you may be in luck.

Lodge Planning Permission Costs

If you are building a lodge on behalf of a park site, it is crucial to plan ahead for the costs of obtaining permission.  At the time of writing, you can expect to pay £462 per individual property in England, for example.  You will find that these costs will differ elsewhere in the UK, so do make sure to consult your local council or authority for details.

However, this may not be the only fee you need to pay for planning permission.  Getting permission to build a park lodge or holiday home can take additional time and funds.  This is because there is no guarantee that your local council will accept your plans right away.

So – what should you do?  Whether you are planning for one new lodge or several, it is crucial to save up a sizeable fund.  Around £3,000 for a single property will often be more than enough to cover costs.  This means that not only will your planning permission fees be covered, so will any design or building fees.  Of course, this will vary from project to project. 

Planning Permission Expiry

Once you apply for planning permission of a lodge or holiday home, or even for a full park, you will have three years to make good and build your property.  This means that you should have plenty of time to put design and architecture plans in place. 

Do be careful if you inherit a lodge building project which has planning permission already activated.  If you are close to your expiry date, you will need to apply for permission again to renew consent from your council.

How Long Can it Take for Permission to Be Granted?

Planning permission can take around two months to be agreed on.  These, however, are general timescales.  The actual time for permission to be granted may vary depending on your exact plans, or on what demands the council may already be facing.  However, do be prepared to wait for a few weeks for permission to go through.  This may be longer if you want to set up a full park.

In this time, you can start to plan your build.  Or, you can start to prepare for the outcome of your application.  If you are confident that your application will be successful, then you can start to make good use of your time.  If there are a few issues your council may pick up on, it is worth preparing for the worst-case scenario.

Do bear in mind that, in some cases, councils will offer a ‘pre-application’ service.  This is where your local authority can give you advice on what to expect from your full application.  This service is a huge benefit to you, as it means you can judge early on whether or not your application is likely to be accepted.

This means you can stop the process midway if you need to, and to address concerns that might affect your permission.

Permitted Developments

If you are setting up a caravan site, certain rules may come into play.  Your plans for a full site will need to be agreed by town and country planning as a permitted development.  For example, if you are choosing to set up static homes on land of more than five acres in size, it may be easy for you to secure permission.  Providing no caravans have used the site for more than 28 days in the past year, your plans may be agreed upon.

You will also need to apply via the government for a full caravan licence to operate in this manner.

Why Might My Application Be Rejected?

Even if you already operate holiday homes on park land, there is no guarantee your application will be accepted.  Councils have a strict criteria when it comes to offering permission.

For example, if your extension or plan encroaches on local properties or natural beauty, it may be rejected.  Councils will be quick to reject proposals which may affect areas of outstanding natural beauty or heritage sites.  Many parks are set up close to these areas, but never within them, for these reasons.

What’s more, if your proposal for lodges impacts planning for neighbourhoods and housing in the local area, you may face rejection.  Town and country planners will need to make sure they have plenty of space to grow into for local expansion.

As mentioned, most councils will see holiday home proposals as a great chance to bring tourism into the local area.  However, there is a fine balance.  Is your proposal likely to do more harm than good to the area?  It may not be obvious to you from an outside perspective, but those in the know will understand exactly what to look for.

Once again, your pre-application will help.  During this process, council advisors will help you to understand the potential impacts your development may have on the local area.

Do Mobile Homes Need Planning Permission?

Mobile homes on their own will not require any form of planning permission as they are not fixed.  However, if you are planning for land to host mobile homes on, you will need to seek full authority to do so.  Living or letting in one place means that you are going to need to get permission to do so.

Conclusion

Setting up a lodge or lodge park can be exciting.  However, it is always important to make sure you have permission to get started.  It all starts with you getting in touch with your local authority as soon as possible.  However, do make sure to prepare yourself for the likelihood of your plans being adjusted or curtailed.  It makes sense, to, to save as much money as possible for your project so that all bases are covered.

Otherwise, there are no reasons why you can’t bring your ideal holiday lodge or park to life.  Do use this guide only as an introduction – and ask local council representatives for further support.