In response to residents concerns regarding recent activity on the former football ground in Mill Lane, Stock Parish Council have pursued a Preventative Injunction for any non-permissible development on the land through a Barrister and Chelmsford City Council. Unfortunately, there isn’t evidence of actual construction activity to support this Injunction to proceed. The following information confirms the current position.
The former Stock United football ground, Mill Lane, is within the Metropolitan Green Belt and The St Peter’s Way footpath runs across it. The regulation relating to development of Metropolitan Green Belt is supported by an Article 4 Directive. Mill Lane is a Protected Lane.
Within the current regulation for this plot of land, vehicles and/or caravans are not permitted. Stock Parish Council have requested that S-Type Security patrol the entrance to the ground over the Bank Holiday weekend and to stop and address any persons trying to move any vehicles onto the land.
The following confirms the position with regard to any vehicular movement onto the land in particular caravans:
Moving caravans onto land in a Metropolitan Green Belt that is covered by an Article 4 Direction is extremely difficult and usually illegal without prior planning permission. While an Article 4 Direction does not make development impossible, it removes ‘permitted development rights’, meaning activities that might otherwise be allowed (such as temporary stationing) now require a formal planning application, which is typically refused in the Green Belt.
Key Considerations for Caravans in Green Belt + Article 4 Zones
- Purpose of Article 4:Local planning authorities use Article 4 Directions to explicitly restrict activities like placing caravans (for storage or residential use) on specific land to protect the openness of the Green Belt.
- Permitted Development (PD) Rights:An Article 4 Direction withdraws the standard 28-day rule that allows temporary use of land. As a result, you cannot ‘plonk’ a caravan on the land temporarily.
- Inappropriate Development:Placing a caravan on Green Belt land is generally considered ‘inappropriate development’ because it harms the openness and visual amenity of the area.
- Requirement for Permission:If an Article 4 is in place, you must apply for planning permission, which is unlikely to be granted unless there are ‘very special circumstances’ (e.g. essential rural worker, which is rare).
- Injunctions and Enforcement:Local councils in Green Belt areas frequently use immediate Article 4 Directions, Temporary Stop Notices, and High Court injunctions to remove caravans, often within days of their arrival.
Exceptions and Nuances
- Residential Curtilage:A caravan can sometimes be moved onto land if it is within the curtilage of a permanent dwelling (e.g. an existing garden), but this is strictly limited to use ancillary to the main house and cannot be used as a separate, independent dwelling.
- Agricultural/Existing Use:It does not necessarily stop lawful existing use, but it prohibits new, unauthorised use of land as a caravan site.
To avoid any confusion or misunderstanding please email info@stock-pc.gov.uk with any information or updates regarding this issue.
Stock Parish Council
Saturday 25 April 2026
