Meta description: Learn how pubs, hotels, B&Bs, farmers and landowners can plan compliant campsites under England and Wales camping legislation in 2026.
If you own a pub, hotel, B&B, farm, or rural business, unused land may offer a new income stream.
Camping can support food sales, local tourism, guided activities, and farm diversification.
You must choose the correct planning route first.
This guide explains the main rules for England and Wales in 2026, including Class BC, Class BA, the 100m buffer zone, prior approval, and the 28-day baseline.
Rules can change. Check the current position with your local planning authority before taking bookings. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Start with the land
Do not buy tents first.
Check the land before you plan the business.
Confirm:
- The country, England or Wales
- The site boundary
- The land designation
- Flood zone status
- Nearby homes
- Access from the highway
- Drainage and wastewater options
- Waste collection access
- Emergency access
- The relationship with your pub, hotel, or farm buildings
A field beside your business may not form part of the same planning unit.
A beer garden, car park, or hotel grounds may form part of the building’s curtilage.
This distinction matters.
Use the Open Sky Adventure land potential service to start reviewing your options.
England: Class BC and the temporary campsite 60-day rule
In England, the main permitted development route for a temporary campsite is Class BC.
Class BC permits:
- Up to 60 days of campsite use per calendar year
- Up to 50 pitches
- Tents, motorhomes, and campervans, subject to the legal conditions
- Moveable structures reasonably required for the campsite
The 60 days can be split across the year.
They are not 60 days per booking.
They are not 60 days per pitch.
Keep a written calendar. Count every operating day.
Class BC sits within the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) Order 2023.
England’s 28-day rule does not cover ordinary camping
Do not rely on the old 28-day rule for a normal pub stopover or pop-up campsite in England.
Ordinary camping was removed from the general temporary use route. The remaining festival-related provision is different from running a regular campsite.
Use Class BC where the land qualifies.
Apply for full planning permission where it does not.
The same principle applies to pubs, hotels, B&Bs, and farms. Your business type does not create an exemption.
Annual notification is required
Before the campsite starts each year, notify the local planning authority in writing.
Include:
- The site plan
- Pitch locations
- Toilet locations
- Waste disposal facilities
- The dates of campsite use
- Access and emergency routes
Provide on-site toilets and waste facilities.
Do this before opening.
Keep:
- The notification
- Proof of submission
- The site plan
- The operating calendar
- Facility inspection records
- Waste collection records
When England needs prior approval
Class BC requires prior approval where the land is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Apply before the campsite begins each calendar year.
Prepare:
- A site-specific flood risk assessment
- Flood warning arrangements
- An evacuation plan
- Access and egress details
- Proposed campsite dates
- Site and pitch details
The local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency.
The decision period can run to 56 days.
Do not open while you wait.
Start only when written approval is issued, or when the relevant legal period has passed without a decision and you have confirmed the position with the authority.
Check the site using the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service.
Wales: Class BA and the 100m buffer zone
Wales has a separate route.
Class BA camping Wales rules apply from 1 June 2026.
Class BA can allow:
- Up to 60 days per calendar year outside specified protected areas
- Up to 28 days in National Parks, National Landscapes, and World Heritage Sites
- Temporary recreational camping, subject to the conditions
- Temporary facilities required for the campsite
A 100m restriction is the key issue for pubs and hotels.
What is the 100m buffer zone?
Class BA does not permit campsite development within 100m of a protected dwelling or protected building, except for use as a private way.
A protected dwelling generally means a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
The rule protects nearby residential occupiers.
It does not depend on whether your campsite is quiet.
It does not depend on whether guests stay in tents.
It does not depend on whether you charge them.
How to measure the 100m buffer
Use a scaled site plan.
Identify every nearby protected dwelling.
Measure from the edge of its curtilage, not simply from the house wall.
The curtilage may include:
- A garden
- A private access area
- A yard
- Other land closely linked to the dwelling
Draw a 100m zone around each relevant curtilage.
Then place your proposed pitches on the plan.
If any part of the proposed campsite falls inside the 100m buffer, Class BA cannot authorise that campsite use on the affected land.
Prior approval cannot remove the restriction.
You will normally need full planning permission if you want to operate there.
Do not measure from memory.
Use a survey plan or mapping system, mark the boundary clearly, and ask the local planning authority to confirm its interpretation where the site is close to the limit.
Wales prior approval: the process step by step
Class BA requires an annual process.
Complete it before camping starts.
Step 1: Check the site
Confirm:
- The site is in Wales
- The proposed land is outside the 100m buffer
- The land is not in an excluded designation
- The day limit is 28 or 60 days
- The campsite layout can meet the conditions
- Access and facilities are suitable
Check for SSSIs, protected habitats, scheduled monuments, listed building curtilage, flood restrictions, and local Article 4 Directions.
Step 2: Submit the determination form
Use the Welsh Government form for a determination of whether prior approval is required for a temporary recreational campsite.
Submit it to the relevant local planning authority.
This process is required each year.
Previous approval does not automatically cover the next season.
Step 3: Prepare the site information
Show the planner how the site will operate.
Include:
- A location plan
- A block plan
- Pitch numbers and positions
- Toilet and wastewater facilities
- Waste storage and collection
- Vehicle access and egress
- Emergency access
- Operating dates
- Nearby dwellings and the 100m measurement
- Any screening, lighting, or traffic arrangements
Step 4: Address the prior approval matters
Welsh planners focus on:
- Toilets and wastewater facilities
- Waste and wastewater disposal
- Access to and from the highway
Explain what you will provide.
Show where it will sit.
Confirm how it will be serviced.
Keep the layout practical.
Step 5: Wait for the outcome
The local planning authority has a decision process and timetable.
Do not assume that submitting the form means you can open immediately.
Wait for the required decision, approval, or lawful deemed outcome.
Keep every notice, plan, payment record, and email.
Use the Welsh legislation and local authority guidance when checking the exact process.
Pub stopovers and “free with dinner” camping
A free stay is still a land use.
Calling it a “dinner package” does not change the planning position.
Neither does:
- Charging £0
- Bundling the pitch with food
- Offering camping to selected customers
- Accepting donations
- Limiting stays to one night
- Calling the area a parking space
If guests sleep overnight in tents, campervans, or motorhomes, the authority may treat the land as a campsite.
In England, use the Class BC route where the land qualifies.
In Wales, check Class BA and the 100m buffer.
Do not assume the pub car park or beer garden qualifies.
Land associated with an existing building may fall outside the relevant permitted development rights.
If you want regular camping on the car park, garden, or hotel grounds, ask the planning authority for a site-specific view.
Planning permission and site licensing are separate
Permitted development rights deal with planning use.
They do not remove licensing duties.
You may need a campsite licence if you operate beyond the relevant exemption thresholds, including more than 42 consecutive days or more than 60 days in a 12-month period.
Check the position with your local authority.
Review the GOV.UK camping licence guidance and the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.
Also check:
- Public liability insurance
- Fire safety
- Electrical safety
- Drinking water
- Food safety
- Waste contracts
- Toilet cleaning
- Emergency procedures
- Guest records
- Noise controls
- Business rates and tax
Keep one compliance file.
Update it each season.
Build a practical campsite income stream
Start small.
Use a clear pitch layout.
Separate guest areas from delivery routes.
Set arrival times.
Provide clear site rules.
Link the camping offer to your existing business.
Options include:
- Dinner and camping packages
- Breakfast bookings
- Guided walks
- Wildlife experiences
- Hiking weekends
- Corporate team activities
- Farm tours
- Outdoor skills sessions
- Motorhome stopovers
- Small group bookings
Keep the operation within the permitted limits.
Track dates, pitches, guests, waste, inspections, and incidents.
Review the plan after each season.
Your 2026 compliance checklist
Follow this order:
- Identify the country and local authority.
- Confirm the land boundary.
- Check the planning history.
- Check protected designations.
- Check flood zone status.
- Measure nearby dwellings in Wales.
- Confirm whether the land forms part of a building’s curtilage.
- Choose the England Class BC or Wales Class BA route.
- Set the annual operating dates.
- Keep within the 50-pitch limit in England.
- Plan toilets and waste facilities.
- Prepare a scaled site plan.
- Apply for prior approval where required.
- Notify the authority where required.
- Check campsite licensing.
- Arrange insurance and safety controls.
- Open only after the legal steps are complete.
Do not advertise dates before you confirm the planning route.
Do not treat “free with dinner” as a workaround.
Do not treat last year’s approval as this year’s approval.
Plan your licensed camping project
Unused land can support farm diversification camping, hospitality income, and local tourism.
The opportunity is real.
The rules need care.
Open Sky Adventure helps landowners and hospitality businesses understand the route, prepare the site, and build a safe outdoor offer.
Read our England Class BC camping guide, review our legal information, then contact Open Sky Adventure.
Join the group and sign up on the website.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.