Mobile home site managers in Stratford district will be subject to 'fit and proper person assessment' after legislation change

It was agreed that they be charged £240 to cover costs and then a further £84 each year so that the scheme can be monitored
Managers of mobile home sites in the Stratford district area will now need to be subject to a fit and proper person assessment following a change in national legislationManagers of mobile home sites in the Stratford district area will now need to be subject to a fit and proper person assessment following a change in national legislation
Managers of mobile home sites in the Stratford district area will now need to be subject to a fit and proper person assessment following a change in national legislation

Managers of mobile home sites in the Stratford district area will now need to be subject to a fit and proper person assessment following a change in national legislation.

And at the regulatory committee at Stratford District Council on Friday (August 6), it was agreed that they be charged £240 to cover costs and then a further £84 each year so that the scheme can be monitored.

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Committee members were told that the fee had been set at a level that would not make a profit from the process which will involve 15 residential sites across the district.

Speaking at the meeting, environmental health and licensing manager Paul Reid said: “We have to be confident that the site manager has sufficient integrity and good character to be responsible for managing the site.

“We don’t want someone who is dishonest or misleading the officers of the council because if they are misleading us then there is a fair chance that they will be misleading the residents of the site as well.

“I don’t know if this legislation is going to be extended to other sites especially holiday residential sites that we have but as it stands it is just for residential sites.”

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The new regulations came into force at the beginning of July and the deadline for applications is October 1.

Mr Reid added: “Our intention isn’t to make a profit, our idea is to recover our costs and to break even if we can.

“In conclusion, an additional amount of considerable work will be needed to assess whether a person is fit and proper to manage a residential caravan site. The adoption of the fee policy will generate a small income and make this additional work cost neutral to taxpayers within the district.”

Councillors were told that the assessment will include matters ranging from looking at the person’s competence to manage the mobile home site through to checking on their criminal record. The proposal to introduce the fees was unanimously approved.

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Mr Reid added: “There are 15 residential sites and they get inspected by us on an annual basis. This is going one step further and assessing the management of the site to make sure they have all the tools in the toolbox to do a good job.”

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