Meta description: Understand Class BC camping England rules for 2026, including the 60-day limit, 50 pitches, prior approval, flood zones and farm diversification.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the planning route first.
In England, Class BC permitted development rights can allow a recreational campsite for up to 60 days in each calendar year.
You can provide up to 50 pitches.
You must meet every condition.
This guide explains the main permitted development rights campsite UK rules for 2026, including the old 28-day rule, annual notification, flood zones, prior approval and practical farm diversification camping strategies.
This article is general information. It is not legal or planning advice. Confirm your proposal with your local planning authority before opening.
What is Class BC camping in England?
Class BC sits within Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.
It allows:
- Use of land as a recreational campsite.
- Up to 60 days of use in each calendar year.
- Up to 50 pitches.
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
This is a permitted development right.
You may not need a full planning application if your proposal meets the full Class BC wording.
Do not treat Class BC as a blanket campsite approval.
Check the land, the proposed units, the dates, the facilities and the local planning position before taking bookings.
What happened to the 28-day rule?
The old 28-day rule still causes confusion.
Under the previous Class B position, land could be used for temporary activities for up to 28 days in a calendar year. Ordinary camping was later removed from that route, except where connected with a festival.
Class BC now provides the main permitted development route for temporary recreational campsites in England.
This means you should not rely on the old 28-day rule for a standard pop-up campsite.
The 28-day period may still matter for other temporary uses, licensing exemptions or separate legal arrangements. It does not replace the Class BC conditions for a 60-day campsite.
Check the current position with your local planning authority.
The Class BC limits
1. Use the land for no more than 60 days
The limit is 60 days in total.
It is not 60 days per event.
It is not 60 days per pitch.
You can split the dates across the year. Record every day when the land is used as a recreational campsite.
Create a calendar before opening.
Include the exact operating dates in your annual notification.
Do not add extra dates without checking whether a further notification or planning route is needed.
2. Provide no more than 50 pitches
Class BC allows no more than 50 pitches.
A pitch is not the same as a person. The legislation does not set a maximum number of campers per pitch under Class BC.
Your practical capacity still matters.
Check toilets, waste, access, emergency arrangements and ground conditions before choosing your number of pitches.
A smaller site may be easier to manage.
3. Use the right camping units
Class BC does not allow every type of caravan.
The statutory exclusion covers caravans, except a caravan used as a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
This can include motorhomes and campervans.
It does not automatically cover towed touring caravans or static caravans.
Glamping units also need careful checking. Their legal classification can vary. Some may be moveable structures. Some may be buildings or caravans.
Ask for advice before ordering units.
4. Keep structures moveable
Class BC allows moveable structures reasonably necessary for the permitted use.
This can include temporary toilets, waste facilities, reception shelters and similar campsite equipment.
Do not assume that permanent roads, hardstanding, buildings, shower blocks or utility connections fall within Class BC.
Plan a system that can be installed and removed.
Check separate planning rules for permanent works.
Toilets and waste facilities are mandatory
You must provide on-site toilet and waste disposal facilities for campsite users.
This is a condition of the permitted development right.
Do not open first and install facilities later.
Your site plan should show:
- Toilet locations.
- Waste disposal locations.
- Pitch positions.
- Access routes.
- Emergency access.
- Site boundaries.
- Any temporary structures.
Set a cleaning schedule.
Arrange waste collection.
Keep waste away from watercourses and food preparation areas.
Check how wastewater will be stored, treated, removed or discharged.
Do not rely on an informal soakaway.
You may need environmental permits, drainage consent or other approval.
Annual written notification to the local planning authority
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before starting the campsite use in each calendar year.
Send the notification before opening.
Include a copy of the site plan.
The plan must show:
- The toilet facilities.
- The waste disposal facilities.
- The dates when the site will be in use.
List specific dates.
Do not use a vague date range.
Keep:
- A copy of your notification.
- The submitted site plan.
- Proof of delivery.
- The operating calendar.
- Facility inspection records.
- Waste collection records.
The local planning authority must pass the notice to the relevant fire and rescue authority if it is a different body.
This notification is not a full planning application.
It is also not prior approval.
You still need prior approval if the proposed campsite is on land in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Flood Zones 2 and 3: prior approval
Class BC requires prior approval where the proposed campsite is on land within Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Apply before starting the development in that calendar year.
Your application must include:
- A site-specific flood risk assessment.
- Warning arrangements.
- An evacuation plan.
- The required fee, if applicable.
- Any information requested by the local planning authority.
The local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency.
The authority must consider the Environment Agency response when making its decision.
Check the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service at the start of your project.
Use a site-specific assessment where required.
Do not open while waiting for a decision.
How the 56-day deemed consent rule works
The 56-day deemed consent rule applies to the Class BC prior approval process.
You cannot begin the development until either:
- The local planning authority gives written prior approval, or
- 56 days have expired from the date the application was received, without the authority notifying you whether prior approval is given or refused.
Count from the confirmed receipt date.
Keep the acknowledgement.
If the authority gives a written decision within the period, that decision governs the proposal.
If 56 days pass without the required notification, prior approval is deemed granted under the statutory procedure.
You must still meet every other Class BC condition.
You must still:
- Stay within 60 days.
- Stay within 50 pitches.
- Provide toilets and waste facilities.
- Submit the annual written notification.
- Follow the submitted site plan.
- Meet licensing, environmental and safety duties.
Do not treat deemed consent as permission to ignore other controls.
Land excluded from Class BC
Class BC does not permit development:
- On a scheduled monument.
- In a safety hazard area.
- In a military explosives storage area.
- On a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- On a site of a listed building.
- For the siting of a caravan unless it is used as a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
Check your land before spending money.
Review planning records.
Check designation maps.
Use MAGIC to review environmental designations.
Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Ramsar sites may create separate environmental requirements, even where the land is not directly excluded by the Class BC wording.
Check stewardship agreements too.
A campsite may conflict with existing environmental or countryside commitments.
Farm diversification camping: build the plan in stages
Start with the land.
Do not start with the tent stock.
Step 1: Check the site
Review:
- Land ownership and boundaries.
- Flood Zone status.
- Protected designations.
- Nearby listed buildings and monuments.
- Access from the public highway.
- Ground conditions.
- Drainage.
- Waste collection access.
- Emergency access.
- Nearby homes.
- Existing planning conditions.
- Article 4 Directions.
Ask the local planning authority for site-specific guidance where the position is unclear.
Step 2: Choose the operating model
You could provide:
- Tent pitches.
- Motorhome pitches.
- Small group stays.
- Guided walking weekends.
- Wildlife and hiking experiences.
- Corporate outdoor activities.
- Pub and campsite packages.
- Hotel overflow accommodation.
Match the model to the land.
Keep the layout simple.
Use existing farm tracks where safe.
Separate vehicles from sleeping areas where possible.
Set arrival times and quiet hours.
Step 3: Design the facilities first
Place toilets where users can reach them.
Keep waste facilities accessible to collection vehicles.
Plan emergency routes.
Provide clear site rules.
Arrange water, lighting and power safely.
Use temporary equipment where Class BC requires it.
Record servicing and inspections.
Step 4: Test demand before expanding
Start with fewer pitches.
Track:
- Occupancy.
- Booking value.
- Cleaning costs.
- Waste costs.
- Staff time.
- Complaints.
- Incidents.
- Weather disruption.
- Ground damage.
Use the results to improve the next season.
Do not exceed the 50-pitch limit while testing demand.
Step 5: Connect the campsite to your existing business
A pub could provide meals, supplies and local information.
A hotel could offer camping packages and guided activities.
A farm could offer local produce, wildlife walks and outdoor learning.
Open Sky Adventure can help landowners plan outdoor experiences with local knowledge, safety controls and practical site management.
Planning permission is not the same as a campsite licence
Class BC deals with planning.
It does not replace every licence, consent or safety duty.
Check:
- Caravan site licensing.
- Environmental permits.
- Private water supply rules.
- Fire safety.
- Public liability insurance.
- Health and safety.
- Food registration.
- Electrical safety.
- Waste carrier arrangements.
- Highway requirements.
- Business rates and tax.
Review the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.
Ask your local authority which licensing exemptions apply.
Keep one compliance file.
Store planning documents, licences, insurance, risk assessments, site plans, calendars and inspection records together.
Your Class BC checklist for 2026
Complete these checks in order:
- Confirm that the land is in England.
- Confirm that the use is a recreational campsite.
- Check the 60-day annual limit.
- Plan no more than 50 pitches.
- Check the proposed camping units.
- Check protected land and designations.
- Check the flood zone.
- Prepare toilets and waste facilities.
- Create a clear site plan.
- Apply for prior approval in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
- Submit the annual written notification.
- Keep proof of submission.
- Check campsite licensing.
- Arrange insurance and safety controls.
- Open only when each requirement is met.
Review the official Class BC legislation before you act.
Then speak to the relevant local planning authority.
Plan your campsite with Open Sky Adventure
Class BC can support a seasonal campsite, a new rural income stream and a wider outdoor experience.
The route is useful.
The conditions are strict.
Map the land.
Choose the dates.
Design the facilities.
Check the flood zone.
Submit the correct information.
Keep records.
Open Sky Adventure provides practical guidance for landowners, farmers, pubs and hotels exploring licensed camping and outdoor experiences.
Join the Open Sky Adventure group and sign up on the website.
Review our land diversification support and legal information.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.