CARAVANS are being used as permanent homes in the latest twist in the ‘beds in sheds’ crackdown.
Harrow Council officers have found two caravans being used as fixed self-contained homes, which are a breach of planning regulations, in the Belmont Circle area.
The mobile units were hooked up to mains power and water and in one case was served with a satellite dish.
Using a caravan as a permanent home represents a change of use in planning terms and it is likely the premises owners will be asked not to continue using it as such.
The discovery follows a recent crackdown from Harrow Council over ‘beds in sheds’ after an aerial survey was carried out of the borough and more than 300 unauthorised dwellings were found.
Leader of the council, Susan Hall (Conservative), said: “It looks like the beds in sheds phenomenon might be taking an interesting new twist with caravans being used to provide beds in drives. There is of course no law against parking a caravan in a drive – plenty of people do that. What is unfair is turning it into a fixed and immobile home, which is a breach of planning law and a bit anti-social on your neighbours. Several people on our recent Day of Action in Belmont pointed driveways out to us where they suspected this was a case. The council isn’t in the business of snooping inside every parked caravan. But where it is apparently being used for long-term accommodation with a fixed water and power supply, our enforcement officers will take action.”
