Meta description: Learn how to prepare a prior approval campsite application in England and Wales, including Class BC, Class BA, flood risk, traffic, waste, access and the 2026 camping rules.
Hello, farmer, hospitality owner or rural landowner. Your land may support a temporary campsite. Get the paperwork right before you open.
The permitted development rights campsite UK process now differs between England and Wales. England uses Class BC camping England rules. Wales uses Class BA camping Wales rules from 1 September 2026.
Both systems need a clear evidence pack.
This guide shows you what to submit, when to submit it and what to do if the council stays silent.
This is a practical guide, not legal advice. Check your site with the relevant local planning authority and take professional advice where needed.
England Class BC camping: build the right annual pack
Class BC allows a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days in a calendar year. It allows up to 50 pitches and moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
You must provide:
- Toilets.
- Waste-disposal facilities.
- A site plan.
- The dates when the site will operate.
- Written notification to the local planning authority before use begins each year.
Check the Class BC legislation before you prepare your plans.
Prior approval applies when any part of the proposed campsite sits in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
You must apply again for each calendar year. A previous approval does not cover future seasons.
The England Class BC document checklist
Assemble one complete pack.
| Document | What to include |
|---|---|
| Prior approval form | Applicant, site and agent details |
| Location plan | Red-line site boundary and nearby roads |
| Scaled site plan | Pitches, toilets, waste areas, parking and access |
| Operating dates | Every camping day in the calendar year |
| Pitch schedule | Pitch numbers and maximum capacity |
| Site-specific FRA | Flood sources, depths, routes and risk controls |
| Warning plan | How you receive and pass on flood warnings |
| Evacuation plan | Triggers, routes, assembly point and responsibilities |
| Waste plan | Storage, collection, disposal and contractor details |
| Toilet and wastewater plan | Facilities, capacity, servicing and pollution controls |
| Access plan | Entrance, visibility, turning and emergency access |
| Fee evidence | Payment record, where a fee applies |
Keep every drawing consistent. The pitch count on the form must match the pitch count on the plan. Your dates must match the operating schedule.
What your flood risk assessment must show
Do not submit a generic flood report.
The Environment Agency and council need a site-specific flood risk assessment. Link it to the exact field and layout.
Cover:
- The flood zones affecting the site.
- Rivers, surface water and coastal risks.
- Flood depth, speed and likely warning time.
- Safe access and exit routes.
- The position of pitches and facilities.
- The location of higher ground.
- How you will protect children, older visitors and disabled campers.
- Who monitors warnings.
- Who orders an evacuation.
- How you account for every camper.
Name the warning source. Explain how staff receive alerts. Set out the action for each trigger.
For example:
- Monitor official flood warnings.
- Stop new arrivals when the trigger is reached.
- Contact campers by phone, text, loudhailer or site notice.
- Move campers to the assembly point.
- Check pitches, toilets and shared areas.
- Contact emergency services where needed.
Mark every route on the plan. Do not rely on a verbal explanation.
Environment Agency consultation and the 56-day period
The council must consult the Environment Agency. It must give the agency at least 21 days to respond.
The council then has 56 days from receipt of the prior approval application to decide.
Do not open until:
- You receive written prior approval, or
- 56 days expire without the council notifying you whether approval is granted or refused.
Silence can create deemed approval in England. Only rely on it when you can prove the application was validly received, the 56-day period has ended and no decision was issued.
Keep:
- The submission receipt.
- The application reference.
- The fee receipt.
- All council emails.
- The date the 56 days ends.
You still need to submit the separate annual Class BC notification. Prior approval does not replace it.
Wales Class BA camping: prepare for the two-stage process
From 1 September 2026, Wales uses Class BA for temporary recreational campsites.
The standard limit is up to 60 days in a calendar year. Sites in a National Park, National Landscape or World Heritage Site remain limited to 28 days.
This is the new Welsh version of the 28-day rule. Check the Welsh Government guidance and the Class BA legislation.
Class BA does not apply on several restricted sites. Check for:
- Flood Zone 2 or 3.
- Scheduled monuments.
- Special areas of conservation.
- Sites of special scientific interest.
- Ramsar sites.
- Listed buildings.
- Special protection areas.
- Safety hazard areas.
- Military explosives storage areas.
- Land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
- Caravans, except where the rules allow them.
Stage one: annual determination application
Apply to the Welsh local planning authority before camping begins each year.
Use the Welsh Government determination form.
Submit:
- The completed form.
- A location plan.
- A scaled site plan.
- Pitch and amenity locations.
- Toilet and wastewater details.
- Waste-disposal details.
- Highway access details.
- Proposed operating dates.
- Any required fee.
The council has 28 days to respond.
It can:
- Confirm that prior approval is not required.
- Require stage-two prior approval.
- Tell you that the application is invalid.
You may proceed after written confirmation that prior approval is not required. You may also proceed when 28 days expire without an invalid notice or determination, provided the application was valid and the site is eligible.
Operate exactly as submitted.
Stage two: prior approval in Wales
The council must require stage two where it considers the use likely to cause a material increase or material change in the character of traffic near the site.
There is no fixed vehicle number. The council will assess the site context.
Explain:
- Expected arrivals and departures.
- Peak arrival times.
- Existing road width.
- Visibility at the entrance.
- Passing places.
- Turning space.
- Parking before check-in.
- Emergency access.
- Vehicle types.
- Traffic near homes, schools and junctions.
The council may request more information on toilets, wastewater, waste or access. It should normally decide the stage-two application within eight weeks.
You must receive written approval before opening where stage two is required.
Do not treat silence after stage one as approval to operate once the council has required stage two. Submit the second pack, answer the request and wait for written approval.
Why applications are refused, delayed or ruled invalid
1. The site is not eligible
Landowners often check the number of days first. Check eligibility first.
Map flood zones, protected sites, Article 4 directions, planning conditions and protected dwellings. In Wales, measure the 100-metre buffer from the relevant dwelling.
Fix it: Add an eligibility page to your pack. Show the source map, date checked and conclusion.
2. The plan is too vague
A postcode does not show where pitches, toilets or waste facilities sit.
Fix it: Use a scaled plan. Label every feature. Add a north arrow, scale bar, access point, turning area and emergency route.
3. The dates exceed the limit
Count every day the land is used for camping. Do not count only occupied nights.
In Wales, a day can count even when no guest is present if the site remains in camping use. Track days across the calendar year.
Fix it: Add a signed operating calendar. Deduct earlier camping days in 2026.
4. The flood assessment is generic
A desktop report does not explain how campers leave your field.
Fix it: Draw warning triggers, safe routes, assembly points and staff actions. Include evacuation arrangements for vulnerable people.
5. Wastewater arrangements are unclear
Councils look for pollution risk, storage capacity and collection arrangements.
Fix it: Name the system, capacity, servicing frequency and contractor. Explain what happens during a full tank or missed collection.
6. Traffic information is missing
A single-track farm lane may work for a few vehicles. It may not work for a full campsite.
Fix it: State expected movements. Show visibility, passing places, parking and turning. Stagger arrivals if needed.
7. The application is inconsistent
Different pitch numbers, dates or access routes create doubt.
Fix it: Run a final cross-check. Compare the form, plans, FRA, waste plan and operating calendar line by line.
Your 2026 submission timeline
| Timing | England Class BC | Wales Class BA |
|---|---|---|
| 12–16 weeks before opening | Check eligibility and prepare FRA | Check eligibility and prepare stage-one pack |
| 8–12 weeks before opening | Submit prior approval if in Flood Zone 2/3 | Submit annual determination application |
| After submission | Track EA consultation and 56 days | Track the 28-day council response |
| If required | Answer council or EA points | Submit stage-two prior approval |
| Before opening | Receive approval or wait 56 days | Receive written stage-two approval |
| Every year | Submit annual notification again | Submit a new determination application |
Start early. Do not plan your first camping day before the legal decision window ends.
What to do if the council stays silent
First, check validity.
Ask the council in writing to confirm:
- The date of receipt.
- The application reference.
- Whether the pack is valid.
- The decision deadline.
- Whether consultation has started.
For England, record the 56-day deadline. If it expires without a decision, take advice before relying on deemed approval.
For Wales, record the 28-day stage-one deadline. Silence may allow you to proceed only when the application was valid, the site qualifies and no protected-site issue prevents development.
If Wales requires stage two, wait for written approval. If the council refuses or fails to decide the stage-two application within the relevant period, check the Welsh appeal route and take professional advice.
Keep your evidence. A silent council does not remove your duty to follow the submitted plans.
Build your farm diversification camping file now
Your evidence pack should be clear, dated and easy to inspect.
Use the Open Sky Adventure land assessment to review your site, or read our UK camping legislation guide.
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