NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
How to complain about your neighbour’s caravan
OWNING a caravan gives many people the freedom of life on the road, even if just for a holiday.
However, owning one means storing it somewhere between trips. Here are the rules regarding where you can park a caravan.
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How to complain about your neighbour's caravan
If your neighbour has a caravan parked on the drive or front garden and you don't like it, the first action you should take is to speak to them.
It is best to air your grievances and talk it through with your neighbours before taking the matter further.
You could always pop a letter through their door - although this may cause friction, so make sure it is carefully worded.
If their van is legally parked, then you may not be able to have it moved.
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If your neighbour does not want to discuss it or you prefer not to speak to them, then you can take the issue up with local authorities or the police.
Can a caravan be parked outside your house?
From the perspective of the police authority, they can park the caravan in the road as long as they aren’t causing any obstruction and parking carefully and responsibly.
A sensible owner must consider whether the way their caravan is parked poses any problem to other residents.
The nearside must face the pavement so that the rear lights face oncoming traffic. This is to let approaching drivers know that it is parked.
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It must not obstruct the road or public footpaths.
As a driver, you cannot even park your caravan across your own driveway unless you are picking up or dropping off passengers.
So if your neighbour is blocking your drive then you can make a complaint in person or through the local authority.
Can my neighbour park their caravan on their driveway?
When taking up the issue of the position of a caravan, it's best to know what the law is in the neighbourhood.
You can obtain the title deeds for their property from the Land Registry to see if there are any restrictions.
At the basic level, the property will have a clause in the deeds stating whether they can or cannot keep a caravan on the property.
Legally speaking, nobody is allowed to use a caravan as a permanent dwelling on their property without planning permission.
So, for example, they would not be able to allow a friend or family member to permanently reside in a caravan on their drive.
It also depends on local legislation.
The vehicle must additionally meet the UK definition of a touring caravan: a habitable structure that can be moved and has maximum dimensions of 20m long, 6.8m wide and 3.05m tall.
Is it illegal to park a caravan in the road?
Parking a caravan on a residential road is not mentioned in the Highway Code.
The main considerations from a legal point of view are that it doesn’t cause an obstruction and it isn’t parked dangerously.
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You must make sure you do the following:
- Ensure that the caravan is well lit at night
- Park it with the nearside facing the pavement so the rear lights are visible to approaching traffic
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