Furious row over ‘filthy’ caravans ruining beautiful seaside town explodes as one is ‘set on FIRE in revenge attack’
A SUSPECTED arson attack on a caravan has sparked fear among residents who say it may be a revenge attack.
Anger has been rising among homeowners over a growing pile of rubbish at the unofficial caravan pitch.
Earlier this week the council served several caravan owners with an order to leave the site.
But in the early hours of Wednesday morning one caravan was set ablaze and destroyed in an attack.
Now homeowners living nearby say arsonists may have set light to the caravan in revenge for the growing piles of rubbish.
One said: “It’s become a total mess up there are there is litter blowing all over the road. Something has to be done to clear it up as it looks horrendous.
“But I’m also worried someone has taken it into their own hands and torched the caravan. It’s so dangerous. Someone could have been in there.”
He said people had become angry as the garbage has attracted rogue traders and fly-tippers who have been using it as an excuse to dump commercial waste.
The unofficial caravan pitch near the racecourse in Brighton has been at the centre of controversy for years.
Residents without driveways use it to park their caravans to avoid the council’s on-street parking charges.
But it is also used as a place to stay by caravan and mobile home owners who live a transient lifestyle.
Up to 12 mobile homes and caravans are camped at the location at any one time.
Tom Saunders, 33, who lives in his converted Ford Transit van, said: “It is worrying if it is arson because someone could easily have been in the vehicle at the time.
“Many caravans are simply parked up to avoid the exorbitant parking costs but others are clearly lived in.”
Tom, a theatre technician at the Theatre Royal in Brighton, has lived in his Luton van for two years and moves from spot to spot.
He said: “I wasn’t here on the night it happened and it does seem to me to be a case of wanton vandalism. But it is very dangerous. How would they know if it was being lived in?
“Many of the parts of these old caravans are worth quite a bit of money so I very much doubt if it was an owner torching their own vehicle.”
UK caravan laws you should be aware of
Do you need a special licence to tow a caravan?
No special licence is required, but the load you can tow varies based on when you passed your driving test. Check specific guidelines for details.
Can you park a caravan on the road?
Yes, but it must not cause obstruction or be parked dangerously. Ensure it is lit at night and parked with the nearside facing the pavement.
Can I store a caravan in my garden or on my property?
Yes, if it meets the UK definition of a touring caravan. Check local regulations and ensure it doesn’t obstruct neighbours or traffic.
Can I live in my caravan in my back garden?
Not as a self-sufficient home. It can be an extension of the main house but requires planning permission for full-time dwelling use.
Is planning permission required to store caravans?
Not in your garden or driveway, but it may be needed for other parts of your property or on farmland. Temporary dwelling use requires planning permission.
Can passengers ride in a caravan when it’s being towed?
No, this is illegal and extremely dangerous.
Is there a maximum length for towed caravans?
Yes, seven meters excluding the A-frame for vehicles up to 3,500kg.
Earlier this week Brighton and Hove City Council served those living in the caravans with a direction to leave.
Emergency services were called to Wilson Avenue in Brighton at around 2am and spent an hour fighting the blaze.
The caravan was left burnt to the ground with the remains of crockery and bedding clear to see.
Pictures show the caravan gutted and blackened by fire on the side of the road.
Councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing and new homes, said the council is aware of the persistent issue and said the local authority’s teams regularly check the vehicles.
“The vehicles on Wilson Avenue are regularly monitored by our team and where they are deemed to be lived in, notices are served instructing people to leave,” said Cllr Williams.
“This has happened recently, with notices served on a number of vehicles.
“We always take a welfare-first approach to anyone we are engaging with who is living in a vehicle and attempt to support them into alternative accommodation.
“The issue of vehicles in this area is something the council is aware of but often when enforcement takes place to move the vehicles from Wilson Avenue, it is not uncommon for new vehicles to appear in the space left behind, causing processes to re-start.
“We would encourage any residents concerned by people living in vehicles on Wilson Avenue to contact us directly via our website.”
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “The fire is believed to be have been caused deliberately and is being treated as arson.
“Witnesses or anyone with information can report it to Sussex Police online or call 101 and quote serial 80 of 19.03.”