Wealden District Council licences camp sites for holiday use for people staying in tents. The landowner or camp operator must apply for a camp site licence when they offer camping for more than 42 consecutive days in the year or a total of 60 days at any time in the year.
Please note that the use of the land for a camping site for more than 60 days in total of any calendar year will give rise to the need to obtain planning permission.
Density
1. Site density should not exceed 75 units per hectare calculated on the basis of the useable area rather than the total site area (i.e. excluding crags, lakes, roads, communal services etc).
Siting
2. The tents shall be stationed only within the parts edged in red on the block plan
from planning permission…..
Spacing
3. Every tent should be not less than 6 metres from any other unit in separate family occupation and not less than 3 metres should be permitted between units in any circumstances.
4. Vehicles and other ancillary equipment should be permitted within the 6 metres space between tents in separate family occupation but, in order to restrict the spread of fire, there should always be 3 metres clear space within the 6 metres separation.
5. Emergency vehicles should be able to secure access at all times to within 90 metres of any unit on the site.
Drinking Water Supply and Waste Water Disposal
6. There should be an adequate supply of drinking water. Each pitch on a site should be no further than 90 metres from a water tap. At each tap there should be a soakaway or gulley.
7. Wastewater disposal points should be provided so that each pitch is no further than 90 metres from a wastewater disposal point. The appropriate Water Authority should be consulted about the arrangements for disposal of water likely to be contaminated.
Toilets : WCs and Chemical Closets
8. The scale of provision should be 1 WC and 1 urinal for men and 2 WCs for women per 30 pitches and their location should be to the satisfaction of the licensing authority. The toilets should be available 24 hours a day.
Washing Points
9. There should be a minimum of 4 wash basins supplied with water per 30 units, 2 each for men and women. They should be adjacent to the toilets. Hot and cold water should be available.
Hot water : Showers
10. Showers should not be obligatory on sites with less than 70 pitches. If showers are required provision should be on the basis of 1 shower per 25 pitches and hot water should be available.
Disabled Persons
11. Particular consideration should be given to the needs of the disabled in the provision made for water points, toilets, washing points and showers.
Refuse Disposal
12. Adequate provision should be made for the storage, collection and disposal of refuse.
Electrical and Gas Installations
13. Arrangements for the storage and use of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) should be in accordance with the current national code of practice and regulation.
14. The electrical installation shall be subject to regulation under current relevant legislation and must be designed, installed, tested, inspected and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the current relevant statutory requirements.
15. Any work on LPG or electrical installations and appliances shall be carried out only by persons who are competent to do the particular type of work being undertaken, in accordance with current relevant statutory requirements.
16. At sites with overhead electric lines, warning notices should be displayed on the supports for the lines and at site entrance(s). Where appropriate, these should warn against the danger of contact between the lines and the fishing lines, the masts of dinghies etc.
17. Any relevant certificates shall be provided to the Licensing Authority at their request.
Compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
18. A suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment of the site must be in place and significant findings identified must be acted upon. The fire risk assessment must be reviewed annually. The latest version of the fire risk assessment should be available for inspection by relevant authorities. The following provides a benchmark of the sort of preventative and protective measure that may be necessary following completion of a fire risk assessment.
- Provision of suitably located, conspicuously marked fire points with adequate firefighting provisions (as a guide each unit to be located within 50 metres of a fire point)
- Each fire point to exhibit a conspicuous notice indicating the action to be taken in case of fire and the location of the nearest telephone. A suitable means of raising the alarm in the event of a fire, taking into account the size and layout of the site.
- Any firefighting equipment provided on site should be installed, tested and maintained in working order by a competent person. Records must be kept for inspection by the Site Licensing Authority.
- Regular site audits to ensure spacing distances are to be maintained. Records to be kept to demonstrate results of audits.
Camp site operators should seek the advice of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service on the above, the enforcing authority.
19. Provide a site-specific Emergency Evacuation Plan.