From next week, caravans and campers will need to apply for a permit and ask for permission through the concerned local council if they wish to park their caravans along the coast, for a fee of a minimum of €5 a day.

Also, local councils will soon be allowed to apply for permits to set up designated camping sites in their locality, for a fee of €10 a day.

In both cases, the local councils have been given full discretion to choose whether or not to grant a caravan permission to stay in a spot.

This was announced by Local Council Minister Owen Bonnici, joined by Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, during a media briefing on Thursday, as he presented a legal notice that would regulate caravans. The legal notice shall be published in the government gazette today.

The legal notice will include new regulations on caravans, campers and campsites from June to September of every year and will be enforced from 1 July.

The first step, Bonnici noted, is that from the beginning of July in order for a caravan to set up base wherever they want, the caravan user will have to apply for a permit through the local council. Whether or not the caravan will be allowed to stay in the spot the person applied for will be up to the discretion of the local council.

People can apply for permits that will cover three days, however, this can be renewed if the local council agrees to renew it.

The second step, Bonnici mentioned, is to have local councils apply for a Development Notification Order (DNO) permit, to establish newly designated caravan sites within the locality. These caravan sites, Bonnici continued, will be equipped with light and sanitary services.

For caravans to stay in these sites they would need to pay €10 a day and they would only be allowed to stay a maximum of seven days, however, this is renewable if agreed by the local council.

As things stand, DNOs do not include caravans, however, Bonnici said that within the coming days, Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi will be making changes to the law, which would allow local councils to apply for permits to establish these sites.

Asked by the media where these potential sites would be, Bonnici said that local councils are at very advanced stages to apply for permits at Qortin it-Twil, Mellieha, and Bahari c-Caghaq. Local councils are also eyeing another two sites.

The new rules also point out that there can only be four adults per caravan or, two adults and an unspecified number of children.

The legal notice also mentions contraventions for caravans parking without a permit. They will be fined between €100 to €500 and subject to a €50 daily fine.

The regulations provide that there would be no need for permission or payment if one parks such a vehicle in a space close to their residence, as long as the vehicle is not being used for camping and as long as it is permissible as per present laws.

These new rules were presented after the Naxxar local council, for months, has been complaining about caravans lined up on the coast road. It has also been waiting almost two years for the government to implement a "national plan for caravans."