Welcome, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator, or rural landowner. Wales has changed the rules for temporary campsites.
From 2026, Class BA camping Wales gives eligible landowners a new permitted development route. You may be able to use land as a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days per calendar year.
You must meet every condition.
You must also complete the Welsh prior approval process.
Use this guide to check your land, understand the 100m buffer zone campsite Wales rule, and plan a compliant farm diversification camping business.
What Class BA allows in Wales
Class BA was introduced by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026.
It allows temporary recreational campsite use on eligible land.
Outside designated landscapes, the limit is:
- Up to 60 days in total each calendar year
- Temporary recreational campsite use
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the use
- Facilities such as portable toilets, showers, reception tents, and waste equipment, where suitable
- Use subject to prior approval and other conditions
The 60 days cover the total campsite use. Do not treat each pitch as having its own 60-day allowance.
Keep a clear record of:
- Opening dates
- Closing dates
- Bookings
- Events
- Pitch numbers
- Any days used by other operators
If the land sits within a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or World Heritage Site, the limit may remain 28 days per calendar year.
Check the exact designation before you plan your season.
Class BA is not a route for permanent campsite development. It also has restrictions on caravans. Do not assume that you can offer caravan, motorhome, or static unit pitches under this right. Check the wording of the Order and confirm the position with your local planning authority.
The 100m buffer zone is the first site check
The most important Class BA restriction is the 100m buffer zone.
You cannot use land under Class BA within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except for a private way.
A protected dwelling generally means a dwelling that is not occupied by the landowner or the campsite operator.
This protects neighbouring homes.
Measure the distance from the curtilage of each relevant dwelling. Do not measure only from the house wall. Do not rely on a visual estimate.
Map the buffer before you choose pitches.
Use a scaled site plan. Mark:
- The full land boundary
- Every neighbouring dwelling
- The curtilage of each dwelling
- The 100m buffer from each curtilage
- The land that remains available
- Proposed tents and moveable facilities
- Site access and emergency access
If the usable field falls inside the buffer, Class BA will not provide the permitted development right for that area.
The buffer also affects the old 28-day camping route. The Welsh changes remove camping permitted development rights within the 100m zone.
Do not open a pop-up campsite because you used the field legally in previous years. Recheck the site under the 2026 rules.
Check excluded land before spending money
Class BA does not apply to every rural field.
The Order excludes several sensitive locations. These include land connected with:
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Special Areas of Conservation
- Special Protection Areas
- Ramsar sites
- Scheduled monuments
- Sites of listed buildings
- Safety hazard areas
- Military explosives storage areas
- Flood Zones 2 and 3
Other restrictions may also apply.
Check your land through the relevant planning and environmental mapping services. Ask the local planning authority for confirmation where the map is unclear.
Do this before you buy toilets, advertise pitches, or accept bookings.
If Class BA does not apply, you may need a full planning application or another lawful route.
Read the Welsh Government planning permission guidance and review the Class BA legislation.
Understand the Welsh prior approval process
Class BA is permitted development. It is not the same as full planning permission.
However, Wales requires an annual prior approval process.
You must apply to the local planning authority before beginning the campsite use in each calendar year.
The process has two stages.
Stage one: ask if prior approval is required
Submit an application for a determination of whether prior approval is required.
Use the Welsh Government process for a temporary recreational campsite prior approval determination.
Submit the application before opening. Allow at least 28 days. Give the council time to check the information.
Your application should explain:
- The site location
- The proposed campsite area
- The dates of use
- The number of pitches
- The proposed toilet facilities
- Wastewater arrangements
- Waste storage and collection
- Vehicular access from the highway
- Emergency access
- Any moveable structures
- How the 100m buffer has been checked
Stage two: submit prior approval details if requested
The council may issue written notice that prior approval is required.
If it does, submit the full prior approval application. Cover the matters listed in the Order.
These include:
- Toilet provision
- Wastewater management
- Waste disposal
- Vehicular access
Do not start campsite operations until the council confirms that prior approval is not required, grants prior approval, or the relevant statutory period expires without a decision.
Keep copies of every form, plan, email, notice, and decision.
If the authority does not respond within the relevant 28-day period, development may be able to proceed, provided all other Class BA conditions are met. Take professional advice before relying on a deemed outcome.
Plan facilities that work on a working farm
A compliant campsite needs more than open grass.
Plan the service area first. Keep it away from watercourses, livestock routes, food preparation areas, and sensitive habitats.
Provide a clear plan for:
- Toilets
- Handwashing
- Drinking water
- Greywater
- Blackwater
- Solid waste
- Recycling
- Vehicle movements
- Emergency access
- Cleaning
- Maintenance
Use suitable portable facilities where permanent works are not authorised.
Do not discharge wastewater onto land or into a ditch. Use a lawful collection, treatment, or disposal system.
Set a collection schedule. Record inspections. Give guests simple instructions.
Your facilities affect more than planning compliance. They affect guest safety, neighbour relations, reviews, and repeat bookings.
Check whether separate requirements apply to your water supply, food service, fire precautions, public liability insurance, waste arrangements, or business rates.
Class BA does not remove those duties.
Build a practical farm diversification camping model
Farm diversification camping can create a second income stream. It can also create extra work.
Start with the land you can operate well.
Do not use every available acre. Choose pitches with:
- Safe access
- Good drainage
- Clear boundaries
- A suitable distance from homes
- Space for emergency vehicles
- Room for toilets and waste storage
- A practical walking route for guests
- Limited impact on livestock and farming work
Then choose your offer.
A farmer might provide low-impact tent pitches. A pub might link camping with food and local walks. A hotel might add outdoor stays for groups, corporate retreats, or guided activities.
Keep the offer within the planning permission and Class BA limits.
Create a simple forecast:
Available pitches × average nightly price × booked nights = gross income
Then subtract:
- Toilets and servicing
- Waste collection
- Cleaning
- Insurance
- Booking fees
- Staff time
- Repairs
- Marketing
- Access maintenance
- Planning and professional costs
Use the result to set a sensible operating limit.
Track income and costs after every opening period. Change the pitch number, dates, or facilities if the model does not work.
Do not confuse Class BA with a long-term campsite
The temporary campsite 60 days rule supports seasonal use.
It does not automatically authorise:
- A permanent campsite
- Permanent amenity blocks
- Static caravans
- Long-term residential occupation
- A year-round tourism business
- Unrestricted vehicle pitches
- Major access works
- Permanent lighting or hardstanding
Apply for full planning permission if your business needs a permanent site.
Consider a separate licensed or membership-based operating model where appropriate. Open Sky Adventure can explain the options and help you assess whether your land fits the right route.
Read our guide to unlocking your land and its potential. Review the legal and membership information before you proceed.
Use a compliance checklist
Before you advertise, complete these checks:
- Confirm the land is in Wales.
- Confirm the permitted development start date and current rules.
- Check the 60-day or 28-day limit.
- Map every protected dwelling.
- Mark the 100m buffer.
- Check environmental, heritage, and flood designations.
- Confirm whether caravans or vehicles are allowed.
- Design the toilet and wastewater plan.
- Design the waste plan.
- Check highway access.
- Submit the annual determination application.
- Complete stage two if the council requests prior approval.
- Arrange insurance and risk controls.
- Keep a day-by-day operating log.
- Remove temporary structures when the permitted use ends.
Do not take bookings before you know that the site can operate lawfully.
Do not rely on the old 28-day rule without checking the 2026 changes. The general camping route under Class B is due to be removed from 1 September 2026, subject to separate exemption arrangements.
Get help before you open
Class BA camping Wales creates an opportunity for rural businesses. It also creates clear limits.
Map the land first. Check the 100m buffer. Confirm the designations. Prepare the facilities plan. Complete the Welsh prior approval process. Then build a campsite that works for guests, neighbours, and your business.
Open Sky Adventure supports farmers, pubs, hotels, and rural landowners with campsite licensing, compliance planning, outdoor operations, and land diversification.
Contact Open Sky Adventure to discuss your site.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
This article provides general information. Planning rules can change. Ask your local planning authority or a qualified planning professional to confirm your proposal before you open.