Campervans and motor homes (FOI)

​Request

Jersey residents are required to obtain a relevant Planning and Building Law permit when they buy or own a motorhome or campervan, and to register the vehicle with the States of Jersey Driver and Vehicle Standards (DVS) office.

The relevant permit will set out the following conditions:

• the caravan, motorhome, campervan, folding camper or trailer tent cannot be used for habitable purposes while in the Island

• that the Department of the Environment are informed if the caravan, motorhome, campervan, folding camper or trailer tent is sold or disposed of by the permit holder

A

How many motorhomes or campervans are registered with a current Planning and Building Law permit?

B

How many motorhomes or campervans are registered with Driver and Vehicle Standards?

C

Do the States Police and the Honorary Police have access to the register of current Planning and Building Law permits to check where a motorhome or campervan should be parked if it is found parked in a public car park or on a road?

D

What steps do the Planning Department take to ensure that motorhomes or campervans are only kept at the locations to which they are registered and that those locations have a suitable space for keeping the vehicle off the public road?

Response

A

It is not possible to provide the numbers of permits issued solely for motor home and campervan registrations as permits are also issued for changes of addresses and changes in ownership. This means that a single vehicle or trailer may have multiple permits.

However we are able to provide the number of total permits issued to residents and visitors / tourists. This information is set out in the table below:

B

As at 5 June 2019 there were 1,092 ‘motor-caravans’ registered on the vehicle register.

This figure may not necessarily be the number actually in existence as unfortunately, despite it being a legal requirement for vehicle owners to notify DVS when a vehicle is scrapped or exported, this does not always happen.

C

The States of Jersey Police do not have access to information relating to Motor Home and Campervan Permits.

D

The department’s compliance team will investigate any concerns regarding motorhomes or campervans raised by the public to ensure compliance with their permit conditions. We do not have the resources to visit all registered motorhome or campervan locations individually.