Cumbria's Motorhome Market Grows: From £10k to £175k

In Wigan, UK, a caravan installed on private land without permission has remained for nearly two years. Local resident Colin Taylor has been trying to get it removed since September 2024. The council ruled that the costs of removal must be borne by the landowner, an 81-year-old woman who refuses to pay, saying she never authorized the installation.

Three Rivers District Council issued a 56-day temporary stop notice on August 28 prohibiting specific works on land in Loudwater where a plan to station four caravans is pending. The notice bans altering land levels, bringing materials for hard surfaces, and laying hardstanding. Breaching it can lead to prosecution with an unlimited fine. The planning application remains under consideration, with 87 objections submitted and a determination deadline of October 9.

The owner of The Poplars Caravan Park in East Runton has applied to North Norfolk District Council for permission to use the entire site year-round. Currently the park operates seasonally, with a winter closure except for 20 days over Christmas and New Year. The application cites benefits for management, marketing, viability, and local businesses. The parish council objected, fearing a 12-month licence could turn the park into a residential site, and demanded assurances that this is not the intent.

A planning application has been submitted to place two traveller caravans at Meadowside Park, Burley Road, Christchurch, to accommodate the owner's two adult sons, who currently live in a caravan at an authorised site in Ottershaw. The proposal aims to address their urgent housing needs by using a historically hard-surfaced, overgrown area, with no new buildings, dayrooms, or permanent hardstanding. The caravans will be sited on a maintained overgrown surface, separate from existing chalet parking, to minimise lasting impact. Public consultation runs until September 15 under application number P/26/03974/FUL, after which planning officers will make a decision.

Social media users identified the model and price of the caravan used by Yat Kittisak Vechprasarn of boy band FEDFE. It is a Bailey Unicorn Valencia Series 2 (2012–2014), made in the UK and sleeping four. The UK price is £21,010; with built-in extras it comes to about 2 million baht.

The Vine Touring Park in Arddleen, near Llanymynech, could add 30 self-catering holiday lodges and expand its touring caravan pitches from 5 to 22 under plans submitted to Powys County Council by The Vine Arddleen Ltd. The proposal also includes a new amenity building with toilets and showers. Local councillor Lucy Roberts has asked for the application to be reviewed by the planning committee due to concerns about traffic, safety access, flood risk, and impact on local services. The developer says the lodges will be low-density and screened by existing and new planting, with no trees or hedgerows removed.