Meta description: Class BA camping Wales 2026 explained, including the 60-day rule, 28-day designated-site limit, 100m buffer, prior approval, pitches and farm diversification.
Hello, farmer, landowner, pub owner or hotel operator.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the rules first.
From 1 June 2026, Class BA gives you a permitted development route for a temporary recreational campsite in Wales.
You still need to meet each condition.
You must also check planning, licensing, highways, drainage and environmental rules with the relevant local authority. Obtain current professional advice before you open.
This guide is general information. It is not legal advice. Open Sky Adventure does not provide legal advice.
What is Class BA camping in Wales?
Class BA is a permitted development right under the Welsh General Permitted Development Order.
It allows you to use land as a temporary recreational campsite for:
- Up to 60 days in total in each calendar year outside specified protected areas.
- Up to 28 days in total in each calendar year in a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, now commonly called a National Landscape, or World Heritage Site.
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the camping use.
Read the official wording in the Welsh legislation.
Class BA is not a blanket approval.
You must check whether your site qualifies.
You must apply each year for a determination on prior approval before starting the campsite use.
What happened to the 28-day rule?
The traditional 28-day rule has changed for camping in Wales.
The amended Class B rules exclude camping unless it is connected with a festival.
Class BA now provides the main temporary campsite route.
The limit depends on the land:
| Location | Class BA campsite limit |
|---|---|
| General land in Wales | 60 days per calendar year |
| National Park | 28 days per calendar year |
| National Landscape or AONB | 28 days per calendar year |
| World Heritage Site | 28 days per calendar year |
Count your operating days carefully.
Keep a site calendar.
Do not assume that a new calendar year resets every other planning or licensing requirement.
The 100m buffer from protected dwellings
Class BA does not permit development on land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except for the use of a private way.
A protected dwelling means a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
Start with a map.
Mark every nearby dwelling.
Measure the 100m buffer.
Ask the local planning authority how it expects the measurement to be taken, particularly where boundaries, curtilage or shared access routes are unclear.
Do not place pitches, campsite amenities or other Class BA development inside the restricted area.
If your only workable field sits within the buffer, redesign the site or discuss a different planning route. Do not open first and ask later.
Does Class BA allow up to 50 pitches?
The Welsh Class BA legislation does not set a statutory maximum of 50 pitches.
The 50-pitch figure comes from the English Class BC permitted development rules.
It does not create a 50-pitch limit in Wales.
If you plan up to 50 pitches, treat that as a business and design scenario, not as an automatic legal allowance.
Your proposed capacity still matters.
The local planning authority may assess:
- Vehicle movements.
- Highway safety.
- Access and egress.
- Toilet capacity.
- Wastewater storage and removal.
- Waste collection.
- Site layout.
- Effects on nearby land and residents.
Start with the number of pitches your site can support safely.
Then test the layout.
Do not fill every available part of the field.
Class BA prior approval in Wales
You must apply to your local planning authority each calendar year.
The application asks the authority to determine whether prior approval is required for:
- Toilet and wastewater facilities.
- Waste disposal facilities.
- Vehicular access to the site.
Use the official Welsh Government guidance and form for determining whether prior approval is required for a temporary recreational campsite.
You must apply before beginning the development for that calendar year.
The authority has 28 days from receiving a valid determination application to:
- Notify you that prior approval is not required.
- Notify you that prior approval is required.
- Notify you that the application is incomplete or does not comply with the submission requirements.
If 28 days pass without the required notice, the legislation provides a response point, subject to the stated conditions.
Do not treat silence as permission without checking the exact statutory requirements and your application date.
If the authority says prior approval is required, submit the further prior approval application.
Do not start the campsite until you receive written approval.
What to include in your Class BA application
Your site plan must show:
- The proposed campsite boundary.
- The position of every pitch.
- Toilets.
- Wastewater facilities.
- Waste storage.
- Campsite amenities.
- Access from the public highway.
- Vehicle routes.
- The dates when the site will operate.
- The 100m buffer from protected dwellings.
- Nearby homes and relevant site constraints.
Use a clear scale.
Add measurements.
Label each facility.
Make the plan easy to check.
Your local planning authority may request further information, including transport or highway impact details.
Toilet and wastewater facilities
Provide enough toilets for the number of campers.
Show their location.
Explain cleaning and servicing.
State how wastewater will be stored, treated, removed or discharged.
Do not rely on an informal soakaway.
Check whether an environmental permit, consent or drainage approval applies.
Speak to the local authority and the relevant environmental regulator before installation.
Waste disposal
Show where campers will place waste.
Separate general waste and recycling where appropriate.
Explain collection frequency.
Prevent waste from attracting animals.
Keep containers away from watercourses and sensitive areas.
Record who removes the waste and where it goes.
Vehicular access
Show the route from the public highway.
Check visibility.
Check the entrance width.
Plan for emergency access.
Separate camper parking from pitching areas where possible.
Assess turning space.
Consider tractors, delivery vehicles, waste vehicles and emergency services.
If the authority expects a material increase or material change in local traffic, expect prior approval for transport and highways impacts.
Land and designation checks
Class BA is not available on every field.
Check whether the land is:
- A scheduled monument.
- A Special Area of Conservation.
- A safety hazard area.
- A military explosives storage area.
- A Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- A Ramsar site.
- A listed building site.
- A Special Protection Area.
- Within Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
- Within 100m of a protected dwelling.
Check National Park, National Landscape, AONB and World Heritage Site boundaries.
These designations can reduce the annual campsite period from 60 days to 28 days.
Use the relevant Welsh mapping and planning records.
Ask the local planning authority to confirm uncertainty.
Keep copies of your checks.
Step-by-step Class BA prior approval checklist
Step 1: Confirm the planning route
Decide whether you are in Wales.
Confirm that the proposed use is a temporary recreational campsite.
Check whether another planning permission, consent or exemption applies.
Step 2: Check the site constraints
Map protected dwellings.
Measure the 100m buffer.
Check designations, flood zones and environmental constraints.
Remove restricted land from the proposed site.
Step 3: Choose your operating dates
Create a calendar.
Use no more than 60 days on general land.
Use no more than 28 days in the protected designations listed above.
Keep the dates consistent across your application and booking system.
Step 4: Design the site
Set out pitches.
Place toilets and wastewater facilities.
Plan waste storage.
Show parking and vehicle routes.
Keep camping areas outside the 100m buffer.
Step 5: Prepare evidence
Create a scaled site plan.
Add dimensions.
Describe toilet servicing.
Describe wastewater disposal.
Describe waste collection.
Explain highway access and emergency access.
Step 6: Apply before opening
Submit the annual determination application to the local planning authority.
Include the required fee, if applicable.
Record the submission date.
Keep the acknowledgement.
Step 7: Wait for the outcome
If the authority says prior approval is not required, follow your submitted details.
If the authority says prior approval is required, submit the BA.4 application.
Do not begin until written approval is received.
Step 8: Operate and monitor
Follow the approved layout.
Track operating days.
Keep waste and wastewater records.
Monitor access.
Review complaints and incidents.
Repeat the process for each calendar year.
Farm diversification advice for Wales
Start small.
Test demand with fewer pitches.
Use existing farm tracks where they are safe.
Place pitches away from homes.
Avoid flood-prone fields.
Keep facilities moveable where the permitted development right requires this.
Link the campsite to your existing business.
A pub could offer meals, supplies and local information.
A hotel could offer overflow camping, guided walks or outdoor packages.
A farm could provide local produce, wildlife activities or booked group visits.
Set clear arrival times.
Use online booking records.
Give campers site rules before arrival.
Plan for toilets, waste and access before advertising.
Do not describe the site as fully authorised until the planning and licensing checks are complete.
For broader farm diversification planning, see Open Sky Adventure’s land potential guide and legal information.
Class BA planning permission is not a campsite licence
Permitted development rights deal with planning.
They do not replace every licence, consent or safety duty.
Check:
- Campsite licensing.
- Environmental permits.
- Private water supplies.
- Food registration.
- Fire safety.
- Public liability insurance.
- Health and safety.
- Traffic and highway requirements.
- Waste carrier arrangements.
- Building control, where relevant.
Ask the relevant local authority and agencies for current requirements.
Obtain professional advice for your site.
Rules and guidance can change.
Plan your Welsh campsite before you open
Class BA creates a route for temporary recreational campsites in Wales.
The main checks are clear:
- 60 days on general land.
- 28 days in specified protected areas.
- A 100m buffer from protected dwellings.
- Annual prior approval determination.
- Toilet and wastewater arrangements.
- Waste disposal.
- Safe vehicular access.
- Site and designation checks.
- No automatic 50-pitch limit.
Map the land.
Design the site.
Submit the annual application.
Wait for the correct notice.
Then operate within the rules.
Join the Open Sky Adventure group and sign up on the website, review our farm and landowner support, and contact the team before you commit to a campsite layout.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.