Who is the BH&HPA?

The BH&HPA stands for The British Holiday & Home Parks Association. This is a specific association that represents the UK Park Home industry. Therefore, this is a body who are most relevant to those who own or manage Park Home sites or similar.

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BH&HPA – Who Can Join?

The British Holiday & Home Parks Association is made up of paid members. These members can be anyone who is an owner or a manager within the UK Park Homes industry from the owners of the actual Park Homes parks, caravan and camping sites, to self-catering accommodation. By people in these specific roles joining the BH&HPA, they can rest assured that their best interests are being looked after.

Why is Joining Useful?

This is an organisation that represents the owners and managers of these Park Home sites, be it touring campsites, chalet parks or static caravan sites. Consequently, those in question can rely on having someone in their corner. By joining they have someone official in the corner to serve needs of themselves and the park. This helps those requiring association for representation, delivering the latest news or other.

The representation provided by the BH&HPA is not just at grassroots level, they take relative issues extremely seriously. They are the people you want to represent you when it comes to issues relating to the Park Home industry, be it your role within it or your business as a whole. The British Holiday & Home Parks Association will take issues to the policymakers (at whatever level is required) and lobby government however high up they need to go. As an experienced association they have the knowledge and the permissions required to make your issues heard.

Furthermore, as an association, they are also there on an advisory level when it comes to park management. This occurs through providing seminars, news, and an annual conference. This is extremely useful to have a body collate all the relative information for your position, and your industry. Such seminars an conferences provide vital information that may be relevant and useful to you. When you are left to find out what is happening yourself, information can be construed and missed, and therefore, this is why it is greatly appreciated to have the publications provided by the BH&HPA.

What Will I Get If I Join?

The BH&HPA advises members on all aspects of park management. Therefore, you get peace of mind and support from your membership. This is extremely useful for all managers of Park Homes and caravan sites, as well as owners of such sites. The BH&HPA provides advisory services to its members, as well as providing publications, seminars, an authoritative Journal, a website, an annual conference and exhibition. As a consequence, it is extremely worthwhile, as well as important that Park Home owners and managers, become members.

Are They Linked To The NCC?

The NCC stands for the National Caravan Council and is a UK trade body for the tourer, motorhome, caravan holiday home and park home industries. They have previously teamed up with The British Holiday & Home Parks Association in order to put together the code of practice for selling and siting holiday caravans. This document is relevant to those who are on a site whom is a member of the NCC.

In previous years, the BH&HPA and the NCC produced a document that they came up with together, called the Code and of Model Licence Agreements for the industry. More recently however, the BH&HPA have suspended this Code of Practice, with a review currently pending. This review is of yet to happen.

The National Caravan Council

Is the NCC, like a BH&HPA, a body that represents the Park Homes industry only?

The NCC is a UK trade body. The group focuses on representing the best interests of those within the touring caravan sector, motorhome and caravan holiday home sector, and residential park home industry. This supports those who are owners of such caravans and holiday home products. This includes those who own and use them, those who manufacture caravans and park homes, retailers and distributors of caravans and park homes, the accessories that accompany them, and also those who own and run the sites. The NCC is a non-profit organisation who support interests of those within the camping, caravan and holiday park industry.

Overall, the BH&HPA is ..

An independent association made up of paid member that also represent the owners and managers of Park Home sites, and similar.

Lobby government and other authorities on issues of the Park Home site industry.

Provide members with publications and relevant up to date industry news.

Provide owners and managers of park home sites, and similar, with help and advice.

Bring together those within the industry for seminars and annual conferences.

BH&HPA Code of Practice

As mentioned earlier, the BH&HPA in conjunction with the NCC created a document/ Code of Practice with the sole purpose of protecting customers and ensuring that they get fair treatment. There isn’t all-encompassing legislation that guides the caravan industry, so it became necessary, as advised by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), to create a Code of Practice.

The Code of Practice covers a wide range of the caravan and holiday parks industry including selling and siting park homes and caravans, as well as other important aspects such as ownership and licensing. However, there hasn’t been many revisions made to the Code of Practice over the years since it was created, but the recent versions are easier to read and provides caravan owners with better deals.

Another thing to note concerning the Code of Practice is that it is only effective with parks that are registered members of the NCC. But the Code of Practice document is currently under review and has been suspended. However, BH&HPA members are still under obligation based on the terms of their membership to make available written agreements in line with certain criteria. This, however, cannot be enforced legally.

Now let’s take a look at some important guidelines and recommendations listed in the BH&HPA Code of Practice.

Recommendations for Buyers:

General

If anything is not clear to you, at any stage of your dealings with us, please clarify it with us or take advice as necessary before you commit yourself to any transaction. And to allow us to serve you best, please co-operate fully and openly with us at all times.

Research before buying

Likely Usage

Try to define what you will mainly use the Holiday Home for (e.g. own use, family use, hiring out, seasonal use, etc., all of which may influence the specification of your Holiday Home)

Running Costs

Remember to take into account annual charges such as pitch fees and rates, and annual running costs (e.g. gas, electricity, water, insurance, winterisation, safety checks etc.).

Suitability

Research the new or pre-owned Holiday Home you are considering purchasing as well as the park, to ensure that both meet your expectations: in other words, suit your requirements and budget.

New or Pre-owned?

Consider whether you want to buy a new or a pre-owned Holiday Home.

Offers

Research product offers as widely as possible.

Ordering And Handover Of Your Holiday Home

Special Needs

Please inform us of any special needs or additional requirements as we cannot provide advice on the suitability of a Holiday Home model for any particular purpose if you have not explained your needs to us (e.g.: disability requirements, French doors, etc.).

Specification

Check that the specification and appearance of the Holiday Home you are ordering from us matches your requirements, as some features are often optional or substitutable extras.

The Purchase and Licence Agreements

Remember that these are legally binding documents and some terms may be negotiable (e.g.: part exchange value, rate of commission, Agreement Period).

Ordering a pre-owned Holiday Home

Ask to see, and obtain copies of, the relevant safety check certificates for any pre-owned Holiday Home you intend to purchase.

Handover

-Ensure you are aware of and fully understand all aspects around the handover procedure, warranties and warranty procedures and clarify with us anything on which you would like any additional explanation.

Deposits

When making a deposit, make sure everything is clear to you, or take advice as necessary to understand how it is secured, the length of the cooling off period and the cancellation terms.

The Licence Agreement And Your Time On The Park

Terms and Conditions

Familiarise yourself with all the terms and conditions in the Agreement, the Park Rules, any site licence conditions, all related documents/information and all aspects covering annual fees and charges, procedures, occupancy (tenure) and arrangements relating to changes on the park. Please also remember that the obligations placed on us by the Local Authority Site Licence may be subject to change which may affect the terms and conditions or park facilities/amenities.

The Licence Agreement

Remember that this is a legally binding document.

Holiday Home Owner Signatures

The Agreement must be signed by all the named owners of the Holiday Home.

Insurance

Research insurance to ensure you choose the policy and supplier that best meets your needs and also take into account any special requirements (e.g. winterisation).

Maintenance

Consider your likely usage of the Holiday Home and the need to keep it properly maintained and in good condition, in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions and the appropriate health and safety requirements including the precautions needed for winter weather.

Non-Permanent Residence

Remember that you must not use the Holiday Home as your permanent UK residence under any circumstances, even if the park has a 12 month site licence.

Behaviour

Remember your responsibilities regarding on-site behaviour including respect of the privacy and rights of others on the park.

Change of Address

You must keep us informed of any change to your permanent residential address and provide proof of this address on request.

Selling or bequeathing your Holiday Home

Commission arrangements

Ensure that you are aware of and fully understand, all aspects of the sales process and the commission arrangements that you, as the seller, are responsible for upon the resale of your Holiday Home as set out in the Licence Agreement.

Notification

Remember your obligations under the Licence Agreement to keep us informed if you are intending to put the Holiday Home on the market or if you subsequently decide to take it off the market.

Safety Check Certificates

Ensure you comply with all the requirements for having valid utility/ appliance safety check certificates when selling the home.

Giving or Bequeathing Your Holiday Home

Remember that this procedure does not affect your right, or those of your personal representative(s) or executors, to sell the Holiday Home according to the procedure detailed in the Licence Agreement.

In relation to members’ commitment to owners:

Additionally

Within this Code, we will:

• Satisfy the criteria for membership of the NCC
• Comply with all the provisions of this Code
• Comply with, and explain, the terms of the Licence Agreement we issue to you
• Maintain adequate and appropriate insurance to protect you
• Ensure that staff are suitably qualified in their roles and are fully aware of, and comply with, all our responsibilities under this Code
• Ensure that our business, its products and services comply with industry rules, standards and agreements and all relevant laws and statutory regulations
• Have in place, adopt, and regularly review written policies and procedures for key business aspects such as customer service, complaints handling and Health and Safety
• Be authorised by the appropriate authority where necessary, (e.g. Financial Services Authority/Financial Conduct Authority) to carry out any regulated financial activities
• Comply with Data Protection requirements and ensure that customers’ details will not be passed to anyone without their express permission
• Ensure that the operation of the Park follows the conditions laid down by the Local Authority in the Planning Consent and Site Licence
• Clearly display and draw to your attention the main provisions of the Site Licence and Park Rules
• Ensure any limitations on the use (e.g.: holiday use only) of the Holiday Home are shown in the Licence Agreement and explained to you
• Regularly review the quality of services provided by any subcontractors
• Comply with the spirit of this Code, act with integrity by conducting our business in an honest, fair and professional manner, exercise due care, skill and diligence and not bring the Code or scheme into disrepute
• Monitor compliance with the Code at least annually and facilitate NCC assessments on a regular basis
• Carry out regular customer satisfaction surveys and respond positively to any feedback as part of a continuous improvement philosophy

Source: National Caravan Council

Click to download full Code of Practice