The Orchards Park Rules

Preface

In these rules:

• "occupier" means anyone who occupies a park home, whether under an Agreement to which the Mobile Homes Act 1983 applies or under a tenancy or any other agreement

• "you" and "your" refers to the homeowner or other occupier of a park home

• "we" and "our" refers to the park owner.

These rules are in place to ensure acceptable standards are maintained on the park, which will be of general benefit to occupiers, and to promote and maintain community cohesion. They form part of the Agreement by which homeowners occupy the pitch in accordance with the Mobile Homes Act 1983, as amended.

None of these rules is to have retrospective effect. Accordingly:

• they are to apply only from the date on which they take effect, which is 17th December 2014; and

• no occupier who is in occupation on that date will be treated as being in breach due to circumstances which were in existence on that date and which would not have been a breach of the rules in existence before that date.

These rules also apply (for so long as they live on the park) to the park owner and any employees, with the exception of the following rule 17.

Condition of the Pitch

1.   For reasons of ventilation and safety you must keep the underneath of your home clear and not use it as a storage space.

2.   You must not erect fences or other means of enclosure unless they are

     •  White plastic ranch style fencing adjacent to roads and 1 metre on the sides and not be set in concrete, this ensures they can be removed if necessary for manoeuvring large vehicles on the park

     •  Less than 2m high and made of timber for the sides of the plot and you have obtained our approval in writing (which will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

You must position fences and any other means of enclosure so as to comply with the park's site licence conditions and fire safety requirements.

3.   You must not have external fires, including incinerators.

4.   Gas barbeques only are allowed, a fire extinguisher must be taken out to the barbeque when it is lit. Do not leave your lit barbeque at any time. Consideration at all times must be given to safety and neighbours. You must not keep inflammable substances on the park except in quantities reasonable for domestic use.

5. The occupier needs to keep the pitch clean and tidy, this includes:

   • trees and shrubs

   • pitch should be kept in a weed free condition.

   • no willow or poplar trees are to be planted or allowed to grow due to their invasive roots and no trees are to be planted over mains services.

   • if trees are to be heavily pruned or removed it must be approved by us in writing (approval will not be withheld or delayed unreasonably)

   • Keeping the edges of the roads next to the gardens free of weeds and grass. We will treat the road within 20cm of the boundary with weed killer twice a year.

   • Keeping any utility infrastructure, including manholes, rodding eyes, water meter covers, electricity boxes, fire points, gas boxes and telephone covers uncovered and free from vegetation. This ensures that access points for utility services and fire points can be seen at all times and easily accessible for maintenance, especially in cases of emergency

6. Any improvements to electrical, gas, water or drainage infrastructure must be approved by us in writing (approval will not be withheld or delayed unreasonably)

7. Any alteration to the plot has to be notified to us and written permission given (approval will not be withheld unreasonably) to ensure it complies with the park's site licence conditions.

8. You must not keep explosive substances or hazardous chemicals on the park.

Storage

9. You must not have more than one storage shed or garage on the pitch.

10. Shed

Where you source the shed yourself the design, standard and size of the shed must be approved by us in writing (approval will not be withheld or delayed unreasonably). You must position the shed so as to comply with the park's site licence and fire safety requirements. The footprint of the shed shall not exceed 6m2.

11. Garage

Where you source the garage yourself the design, standard and size of the shed must be approved by us in writing (approval will not be withheld or delayed unreasonably). You must position the garage so as to comply with the park's site licence and fire safety requirements. The footprint of the garage shall not exceed 25m2.

12. You must ensure that any shed, garage or other structure erected in the separation space between park homes is of non-combustible construction and positioned so as to comply with the park's site licence conditions and fire safety requirements. The separation space is the space between your park home and any neighbouring home.

13. Any shed or garage should be maintained in a clean and tidy condition.

Refuse

14. You are responsible for the disposal of all household, recyclable and garden waste in approved containers through the local authority service. You must not overfill containers and must place them in the approved position for the local authority collections.

15. You must not deposit any waste or rubbish other than in local authority approved containers on any part of the park (including any individual pitch).

Business Activities

16. You must not use the park home, the pitch or the park (or any part of the park) for any business purpose, and you must not use the park home or the pitch for the storage of stock, plant, machinery or equipment used or last used for any business purpose. However you are at liberty to work individually from home by carrying out any office work of a type which does not create a nuisance   to other occupiers and does not involve other staff, other workers, customers or members of the public calling at the park home or the park.

Age of Occupants

17. No person under the age of 50 years may reside in a park home, with the exception of the park owner and their family, the park warden and family.

18. No park home is to be sublet

Noise Nuisance

19. You must not use musical instruments, all forms of recorded music players, radios and other similar appliances, motor vehicles, machinery and tools so as to cause a nuisance to other occupiers, especially between the hours of 8pm and 8.00am, and especially at weekends.

Pets

20. You must not keep any pets or animals except the following:

-  Not more than 1 dog (other than any of the breeds subject to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which are not permitted at all). You must keep any dog under proper control and you must not permit it to frighten other users of the park. You must keep any dog on a leash not exceeding lm in length and must not allow it to despoil the park or meadow walk. On the meadow walk the leash must not exceed 3m in length

OR

-  Not more than 1 domestic cat. You must keep any cat under proper control and must not permit it to frighten other users of the park, or to despoil the park.

AND

-  Those, which are housed in a cage, aquarium or similar must remain at all times within your home.

Note

The express terms of a homeowner's agreement contain an undertaking on the part of the homeowner not to allow anything which is or becomes a nuisance, inconvenience or disturbance to other occupiers at the park and this undertaking extends to the behaviour of pets and animals.

Note

These rules do not have retrospective effect. If the keeping of the pet complied with the previous rules, an occupier will not be treated as being in breach when these rules take effect. However, when the pet dies or leaves it can only be replaced if this would comply with these rules.

21. Nothing in rule 20 of these Park Rules prevents you from keeping an assistance dog if this is required to support your disability and Assistance Dogs UK or any successor body has issued you with an Identification Book or other appropriate evidence.

Water

22. You must only use fire point hoses in case of fire. In winter months the hoses are drained down to ensure that the hoses are not blocked with ice and can be switched on at the stop cock in the ground.

23. You must protect all external water pipes from potential frost damage.

Vehicles and parking

24. You must drive all vehicles on the park carefully and within the displayed speed limit.

25. You must not park more than one vehicle on the park.

26. You must not park on the roads or grass verges.

27. You must not park anywhere except in the permitted parking spaces.

28. Other than for delivering goods and services, you must not park or allow parking of:

   •  commercial vehicles of any sort on the park, including:

   •  light commercial or light goods vehicles as described in the vehicle taxation legislation and

   •  vehicles intended for domestic use but derived from or adapted from such a commercial vehicle

   •  motorhomes, touring caravans etc.

29. You must hold a current driving licence and be insured to drive any vehicle on the park. You must also ensure that any vehicle you drive on the park is taxed in accordance with the requirements of law and is in a roadworthy condition.

30. Disused or unroadworthy vehicles must not be kept anywhere on the park. We reserve the right to remove any vehicle which is apparently abandoned.

31. You must not carry out the following works or repairs on the park:

   (a)  major vehicles repairs involving dismantling of part(s) of the engine

   (b)  works which involve the removal of oil or other fuels.

32. Nothing in rule 28 of these Park Rules prevents you from keeping a light commercial or light goods vehicle if this is required to support your disability and a normal vehicle is inappropriate, evidence from an officially recognised national body would be required to support this.

Weapons

33. You must not use or display guns, firearms and offensive weapons (including crossbows) on the park and you may only keep them on the pitch or in your home if you hold the appropriate licence and they are securely stored in accordance with that licence.

External Decoration

34. Homeowners must maintain the outside of their park home in a clean and tidy condition. Where the exterior is repainted or recovered homeowners must use reasonable endeavours not to depart from the original exterior colour-scheme.

35. Television aerials must be attached to the park home. Satellite dishes to be sited on the ground.

Park Home Living Disclaimer:

Park rules have been downloaded from the relevant licensing authority and were correct at the time of publishing. Uploaded Date May 2021