Hello, farmer, landowner, pub owner, or rural business owner.
You already have the land.
Now use it with care.
Farm diversification camping can add a new income stream. It can also create planning, licensing, safety, and environmental problems if you open too soon.
Follow the right route.
Check the rules first.
Start with the business case
A campsite can help you use land that produces little income.
It can support:
- Farms with spare fields
- Pubs with unused land
- Hotels with outdoor space
- Rural attractions
- Estates with visitor facilities
- Hospitality businesses seeking new offers
Start with a simple calculation:
Expected income = occupied pitches × nightly rate × operating nights
Then subtract:
- Toilets and waste disposal
- Water supply
- Insurance
- Ground maintenance
- Marketing
- Booking fees
- Staff time
- Licensing or planning costs
- Repairs and cleaning
Do not build more than you need.
Test demand first.
Use a temporary campsite model before considering permanent facilities. Record bookings, guest feedback, costs, and problems. This information can support a later planning application.
Know which rules apply
Planning and licensing are separate.
You may have a permitted development right for your campsite. You may still need a site licence.
You may also need approval for access, drainage, wastewater, structures, or environmental impacts.
Check your location.
England and Wales now have different routes for temporary camping.
England: Class BC and the temporary campsite 60 days rule
In England, Class BC allows the temporary use of land as a recreational campsite for up to 60 days in total in each calendar year.
You can provide up to 50 pitches.
You can also provide moveable structures that are reasonably necessary for the campsite.
This can include:
- Tents
- Toilets
- Waste facilities
- Reception units
- Motorhomes and campervans
The full legal wording appears in Class BC of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order.
The 60 days do not need to run consecutively.
You can open during:
- Bank holidays
- School holidays
- Summer weekends
- Local events
- Selected periods of high demand
Track every operating day.
Do not confuse the 60-day planning limit with the licensing limit.
England: Class BC conditions
You must meet the Class BC conditions.
Provide toilets on site.
Provide waste disposal facilities on site.
Notify your local planning authority in writing before you start each year.
Include:
- A site plan
- The pitch layout
- Toilet locations
- Waste facilities
- Operating dates
Keep a copy of your notice.
Your local planning authority must share the notice with the fire and rescue authority where required.
Check flood risk before you choose your pitches.
If the site sits in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, you need prior approval before opening. You must submit a site-specific flood risk assessment, including warning and evacuation arrangements.
Do not rely on Class BC if your land includes:
- A scheduled monument
- A Site of Special Scientific Interest
- A listed building site
- A safety hazard area
- A military explosives storage area
Class BC also excludes caravans, except where the vehicle is designed or adapted for human habitation, such as some motorhomes and campervans.
Read Open Sky Adventure’s Class BC camping guide before you prepare your site.
Wales: understand the 28-day rule in 2026
As of 14 August 2026, the existing Welsh temporary campsite rules still matter.
The general rule allows temporary camping for up to 28 days in a calendar year, subject to the detailed restrictions that apply to your land.
The days do not need to be consecutive.
Do not treat the 28-day rule as a blanket exemption.
Check:
- Whether the land is excluded
- Whether an Article 4 Direction applies
- Whether the use is tents only
- Whether structures are moveable
- Whether the land is near protected buildings
- Whether your local authority has extra requirements
The Welsh Government has announced changes to permitted development rights for temporary campsites.
The changes are scheduled to take effect on 1 September 2026.
The new Welsh route is often referred to as Class BA camping.
Outside specified designated landscapes, the new right is intended to allow camping for up to 60 days each year.
In designated landscapes, the limit remains 28 days.
Prior approval will apply.
You will need to provide details about:
- Toilets
- Wastewater
- Waste disposal
- Highway access
- Highway exit arrangements
The new Welsh rules also introduce a 100-metre buffer zone from a protected building, subject to the wording of the legislation.
Map this distance before you create your pitch plan.
Do not assume that you can use the old 28-day rule inside the buffer zone after the changes take effect.
Check the official Welsh Government permitted development information, then speak with your local planning authority.
Read our guide to Class BA camping in Wales.
Separate planning from licensing
Do not stop after checking permitted development rights.
You may need a camping site licence.
For tents, licensing thresholds commonly include:
- More than 42 consecutive days
- More than 60 days in a rolling 12-month period
These are licensing tests.
They are not the same as the England Class BC 60-day calendar-year planning limit.
If you host caravans, campervans, or motorhomes, check caravan site licensing separately.
A caravan site licence may apply even when the temporary planning right allows the use.
Contact your local authority licensing team.
Use the GOV.UK camping licence finder to identify the correct route.
Keep your planning records and licensing records together.
Build a compliance file
Create one folder for the site.
Include:
- Land ownership details
- A measured site plan
- Pitch numbers
- Opening dates
- Flood zone information
- Environmental designations
- Access details
- Toilet and wastewater plans
- Waste collection arrangements
- Fire and emergency procedures
- Insurance documents
- Planning notifications
- Prior approval decisions
- Licence documents
- Guest site rules
Update the folder each season.
Give your team access to it.
Keep a daily operating log.
Record the number of pitches in use.
Record arrivals and departures.
This protects your business if the council asks questions.
Make the site profitable without overbuilding
Start with the basics.
Mark each pitch clearly.
Keep vehicles away from wet ground.
Provide a safe entrance.
Use simple signs.
Install toilets before taking bookings.
Arrange waste collection before guests arrive.
Give guests clear rules about:
- Fires
- Noise
- Parking
- Dogs
- Waste
- Water
- Check-in
- Local paths
- Wildlife
Offer extras only when the core service works.
Possible options include:
- Guided walks
- Wildlife activities
- Campfire sessions
- Local food partnerships
- Outdoor skills sessions
- Team-building packages
Use your farm, pub, or hotel to support the visitor experience.
Do not promise facilities that you cannot maintain.
Clean facilities create repeat bookings.
Clear rules reduce complaints.
Good access protects your land.
Choose the right operating model
You have three main options.
1. Temporary campsite
Use the relevant permitted development route.
Keep within the day, pitch, site, and facility limits.
This suits seasonal testing.
2. Licensed campsite
Apply for the required licence.
Use this route when your operation exceeds the temporary thresholds or includes facilities that need a different legal basis.
3. Permanent campsite
Apply for planning permission.
This suits a longer season, fixed facilities, more pitches, or a larger hospitality offer.
Choose the model before you spend money.
Do not install permanent buildings and then try to fit them into a temporary campsite rule.
Get support before you open
The legal details change by country, local authority, land designation, campsite type, and operating model.
Open Sky Adventure helps landowners, farmers, pubs, hotels, and rural businesses review their options.
We can help you:
- Assess your land
- Plan your pitches
- Review your operating dates
- Prepare site information
- Understand the relevant rules
- Create a safe visitor model
- Explore a licensed camping agreement
Start with Unlock Your Land and Potential.
Review the legal information.
Then contact Open Sky Adventure with your site address, location pin, land description, and proposed use.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
Join the group, sign up on the website, and check your land before you take bookings.