Northern Ireland Planning Service

Northern Area Plan 2016
Strategic Plan Framework: Tourism Camping and Caravans

Policy TOU 4 Camping and Caravans
Proposals for new static caravan parks or the extension of existing caravan parks will not be acceptable within the Green Belts and Countryside Policy Areas. Proposals for small-scale static caravan parks, in conjunction with the provision of at least as many pitches for touring caravans and provision for tents, will be only be approved where the following criteria are met:
  1. the site is already effectively screened in the landscape and would not be significantly visible from any public place, and
  2. the site has good access to the highway network.
The North Coast, in the Post War period up to the 1970s, was characterised by the development of extensive static caravan parks on the edge of most of the towns and larger villages. Many of these were on open exposed sites and remain poorly integrated into the landscape, although there are notable exceptions where they were always screened by woodland belts, or subsequent landscaping has softened their harsh appearance. Planning permissions for development for housing purposes have been granted on several caravan parks within existing urban areas.
There is little need for major new or extended static caravan park developments. Accordingly, the Plan expects any modest additional provision to be accommodated mostly within existing partly vacant sites.
The Department may grant planning permission for additional touring caravan sites where they are small-scale sites (generally less than 1 hectare), effectively enclosed either by existing buildings or woodland, and outside Green Belts and Countryside Policy Areas.
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