The 60-Day Campsite Audit: What UK Landowners Must Check Before Opening in 2026

Hello, landowner. Planning a temporary campsite for 2026? Check the rules before you take bookings.

The permitted development rights campsite UK framework now differs across England and Wales. England uses Class BC camping England rules. Wales uses Class BA camping Wales rules from 2026.

Use this audit before opening.

This guide gives practical information. It does not replace advice from your Local Planning Authority, insurer, solicitor, or planning consultant.

1. Confirm which 60-day rule applies

Start with the country.

England: Class BC camping

Under Class BC of the English GPDO, you can use land as a temporary recreational campsite for:

• Up to 60 days in total in one calendar year.
• No more than 50 pitches.
• Tents, motorhomes, and campervans.
• Moveable structures needed for the site.

Class BC does not allow the siting of ordinary touring caravans. It also does not apply to certain sensitive land, including:

• Scheduled monuments.
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
• Listed building sites.
• Safety hazard areas.
• Military explosives storage areas.

Check for an Article 4 Direction. This may remove permitted development rights in your area.

There is no separate 42-day consecutive limit in the Class BC planning wording. The 42-day rule comes from campsite licensing law. If you exceed 42 consecutive days or 60 days in any 12-month period, you may need a campsite licence.

Wales: Class BA camping

Wales introduced Class BA in 2026. Read the Welsh Class BA legislation.

Outside a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or World Heritage Site, Class BA allows:

• Up to 60 days in total in one calendar year.

Inside those designated landscapes, the limit is:

• Up to 28 days in total in one calendar year.

Class BA also excludes land in several sensitive locations, including:

• Flood Zones 2 and 3.
• SSSIs.
• SACs.
• SPAs.
• Ramsar sites.
• Scheduled monuments.
• Listed building sites.
• Safety hazard areas.

You must also check the 100m buffer zone.

2. Send the right written notification

England: notify the LPA before opening

For an English site outside Flood Zones 2 and 3, submit written notification to your Local Planning Authority before starting each calendar year.

Your notification should include:

• Your name and contact details.
• The site address.
• A clear site plan.
• The number and location of pitches.
• Toilet locations.
• Waste-disposal locations.
• Planned operating dates.
• Confirmation that you will stay within 60 days.
• Confirmation that you will provide no more than 50 pitches.

The statutory requirement focuses on the site plan, toilet and waste facilities, and operating dates. A weak plan creates questions. A complete plan shows control.

The LPA must pass the notice to the fire and rescue authority where required. Keep proof of submission.

Wales: apply for a determination

Wales uses a different process.

Before starting each calendar year, submit a Class BA application for a determination on prior approval. Include:

• The site plan.
• Pitch locations.
• Amenity locations.
• Toilet and wastewater arrangements.
• Waste-disposal arrangements.
• Access from the highway.
• Proposed operating dates.
• The required fee.

The LPA has 28 days to decide whether prior approval is required.

Do not start until you have either:

• Written confirmation that prior approval is not required, or
• Written prior approval from the LPA.

If the LPA identifies a material increase or material change in local traffic, expect a transport and highway assessment.

3. Mark out the campsite layout

Your layout must work on paper and on the ground.

Demarcate every pitch

Show each pitch on the site plan. Then mark it on site using:

• Low stakes.
• Numbered signs.
• Rope or natural boundaries.
• Temporary markers that do not damage the land.

Keep the pitch count accurate. In England, never exceed 50 pitches.

Leave space for:

• Fire separation.
• Vehicle movement.
• Emergency access.
• Waste collection.
• Safe pedestrian routes.
• Flood evacuation.

Do not place tents beside steep drops, unstable trees, open water, or farm machinery routes.

Plan the access route

Show the entrance, internal track, parking, turning area, and emergency route.

Check:

• Highway visibility.
• Track width.
• Surface condition.
• Vehicle turning.
• Delivery access.
• Ambulance and fire appliance access.
• Gates and locked access points.
• Pedestrian movement.

Keep emergency routes clear throughout the operating period. Do not use them for overflow parking.

Place toilets and waste points carefully

Put facilities where guests can reach them without crossing vehicle routes.

Keep them:

• On firm ground.
• Away from watercourses.
• Away from flood flow paths.
• Accessible to servicing vehicles.
• Lit where needed.
• Clear of food preparation areas.
• Easy to inspect and clean.

Your plan should match the real layout. Do not move facilities without updating your operating records.

4. Check flood risk before spending money

England: Flood Zones 2 and 3 trigger prior approval

Use the Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning for an initial check.

Then check your Local Planning Authority’s Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. Look for:

• Flood Zone 2.
• Flood Zone 3.
• Surface water risk.
• Groundwater risk.
• Reservoir risk.
• Critical drainage problems.
• Safe access and escape routes.

If any proposed Class BC campsite land sits in Flood Zone 2 or 3, you need prior approval before opening each calendar year.

Your application must include:

• A site-specific Flood Risk Assessment.
• Warning arrangements.
• Evacuation arrangements.
• The site plan.
• Pitch locations.
• Toilets and waste facilities.
• Proposed operating dates.
• The required fee.

The LPA must consult the Environment Agency. The statutory process allows up to 56 days. Do not build your opening plan around an assumed approval. Submit early.

Read the latest GOV.UK flood risk and coastal change guidance.

Wales: Flood Zones 2 and 3 exclude Class BA

Under the 2026 Welsh Order, Class BA does not apply in Flood Zones 2 or 3.

This is different from England.

If your Welsh site falls within those zones, do not rely on Class BA. Speak to the LPA about full planning permission and any flood risk requirements.

5. Measure the 100m buffer in Wales

The Welsh 100m buffer applies to a protected dwelling. This means a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.

Class BA camping cannot take place within 100 metres of that dwelling. The restriction applies to both the 60-day and 28-day limits.

Measure from the correct point

Use a scaled plan or digital mapping system. Mark:

1. The building footprint of each protected dwelling.
2. A 100m radius around each dwelling.
3. The proposed campsite boundary.
4. Every pitch and temporary facility.
5. Access routes and private ways.

Use the shortest horizontal distance between the dwelling and the proposed camping area. Do not measure from the nearest public road. Do not measure from the field entrance. Do not rely on visual estimates.

If the buffer reaches part of your field, move the whole campsite outside it. Do not place one pitch inside the zone.

Common mistakes include:

• Measuring from the property boundary instead of the dwelling.
• Ignoring flats or separate dwellings.
• Using an old map.
• Measuring only from the nearest corner.
• Treating a neighbour’s consent as removal of the legal buffer.
• Assuming a private access route makes camping lawful inside the zone.

6. Check temporary facilities and waste systems

Prepare a facilities schedule before opening.

Toilets

Confirm:

• The number of toilets.
• Cleaning frequency.
• Handwashing provision.
• Water supply.
• Accessibility arrangements.
• Servicing access.
• Night-time lighting.
• Maintenance contact.

Blackwater and wastewater

Set out how you will manage:

• Toilet waste.
• Chemical toilet waste.
• Greywater.
• Washing-up water.
• Shower wastewater.
• Overflow risks.

Use sealed tanks or approved systems. Arrange collection through a suitable waste contractor. Keep transfer notes and service records.

Do not discharge greywater or sewage to fields, ditches, streams, drains, or ground without checking the environmental rules. If you plan a discharge, check whether you need an environmental permit.

General waste

Provide:

• Covered bins.
• Recycling points.
• Food waste controls.
• Collection dates.
• Pest controls.
• A no-burning policy unless separately assessed and permitted.

Include the waste plan in your LPA submission.

7. Arrange insurance before taking bookings

Public liability insurance is not usually a statutory requirement for every campsite. It is still essential for a guest-facing operation.

Use specialist campsite or leisure cover. Ask for at least £2 million. £5 million is a common commercial benchmark.

Check that the policy covers:

• Camper and visitor injury.
• Damage to guest property.
• Toilets and temporary facilities.
• Car parks and access tracks.
• Fire pits and barbecues.
• Events and organised activities.
• Food and drink sales, if relevant.
• Landowner and operator responsibilities.

Tell your farm, property, or business insurer about the campsite. Standard farm insurance may not cover paying guests.

If you employ staff, employers’ liability insurance is normally compulsory. Add seasonal workers and contractors to your risk review.

Keep the insurance certificate on file. Give a copy to the landowner where the operator is a separate business.

8. Keep an operating compliance file

Create one folder for the season.

Include:

• Planning notification or Class BA determination.
• Prior approval documents.
• Site plans.
• Flood Risk Assessment.
• Insurance certificates.
• Risk assessments.
• Fire safety arrangements.
• Waste collection records.
• Toilet servicing records.
• Guest capacity records.
• Operating day log.
• Incident reports.
• Contractor details.

Record every day the land is used as a campsite. Do not rely on booking dates alone.

Review the site after heavy rain, high winds, incidents, complaints, or layout changes.

9. Use Open Sky Adventure to reduce the risk

A temporary campsite involves more than putting up tents.

Open Sky Adventure can help you manage the process from first site review to seasonal operation. Our support can include:

• Land and boundary checks.
• Class BC or Class BA route review.
• Site layout planning.
• Pitch and facility mapping.
• LPA notification support.
• Prior approval preparation.
• Flood risk coordination.
• Wales 100m buffer checks.
• Toilet and waste planning.
• Safety procedures.
• Insurance coordination.
• Operating records.
• Licence agreement support.

We focus on practical compliance. We also help farmers, landowners, pubs, and hotels make better use of underused land through farm diversification camping.

Start with our Unlock Your Land and Potential service. Review our legal information. Or contact Open Sky Adventure with your site address, location pin, and proposed use.

Final pre-opening checklist

Before opening, confirm:

• You have identified the correct country and planning class.
• You have checked sensitive land designations.
• You have checked flood risk.
• You have completed the English notification or Welsh Class BA process.
• You have obtained prior approval where required.
• You have measured the Welsh 100m buffer correctly.
• You have mapped pitches and access routes.
• You have installed suitable toilets.
• You have arranged blackwater and greywater disposal.
• You have arranged waste collection.
• You have completed risk assessments.
• You have suitable insurance.
• You are tracking every operating day.
• You have kept written evidence of each decision.

Join the Open Sky Adventure group and sign up through our website.

We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.