The Havant Westbeach Fire Report recommends a minimum distance of 3m between motor caravans and states the reasons why.
Much confusion has resulted from the original Model Standards associated with the 1963 Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act which gave a figure of 6m separation between units without actually staying the reason behind that separation or clearly defining what construed a unit.
Subsequent Guidance issued in 1983 clarified that the Act in question was never intended to apply to touring caravan sites ( or indeed by implication parking of motorhomes which didn’t exist in their modern self contained form in 1963), it was designed for static Park Homes. For touring sites it acknowledged different standards may be considered having regard for the particular circumstances of the intended use and location.
However, the original model standards in the absence of clear unambiguous guidance somehow had became engrained in the minds of many local authorities and organisations.
The guidance of Natural England who ‘manage’ the caravan site planning exemption scheme makes contradictory statements. In the body of their document they state a minimum distance of 6m between ‘units’, and in the diagrams in the appendices a minimum of 3m ( or 4m where possible). The diagram in their Appendix is similar to that in the European Federations Guidance mentioned in Havant Report.
In recognition of the fuzzy state of guidance Havant commissioned its own professional Fire Report specifically applying to self contained motor caravans parking, not camping. ie. with nothing placed outside, no awnings, chairs, tables or anything else, and this recommended 3m separation, 4m where practicable. This being in line with the recommendations of CFPA the federation which represents fire services throughout Europe, including UK.
Of course as many of us have observed that the application of this standard is somewhat haphazard in some countries, albeit new Aires, generally now comply with 5.5m bays giving 3m separation. It may be of interest that the 5.5m motorhome parking bays mentioned in the report are the same size as also adopted in New Zealand.
It may be of interest that CAMpRA have also commissioned a similar report from the same source as Havant. This may be found in the Business Hub on CAMpRA’s website
www.campra.org.uk .