Meta description: Understand UK camping legislation 2026, including Class BC camping in England, Class BA camping in Wales, the 60-day rule, 28-day limit, pitch caps, prior approval, licensing and farm diversification camping.
Are you a farmer, hospitality owner or rural landowner?
Your land may support temporary camping.
You must choose the correct planning route first.
This guide explains the permitted development rights campsite UK landowners need to understand in 2026.
It covers:
- Class BC camping England
- Class BA camping Wales
- The temporary campsite 60 days rule
- The 28-day limit in protected Welsh landscapes
- The 50-pitch limit in England
- Prior approval campsite requirements
- Annual notification and determination
- The Welsh 100m buffer zone campsite rule
- Excluded sites
- Campsite licensing
- Farm diversification camping
Open Sky Adventure is an industry-leading source for practical camping compliance and rural adventure operations. Use this guide to plan your next step.
Class BC camping England: the 60-day rule
Class BC applies in England.
It allows you to use land as a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days in one calendar year.
The right also allows:
- Up to 50 pitches
- Moveable structures needed for the campsite
- Tents
- Motorhomes
- Campervans designed or adapted for human habitation
The 60-day limit applies to the land.
It does not apply separately to every pitch.
It does not reset when you move guests to another field.
Keep one day-count record for the whole campsite operation.
What Class BC does not cover
Class BC does not generally cover:
- Touring caravans
- Static caravans
- Mobile homes
- Permanent toilet blocks
- Permanent buildings
- Permanent hardstanding or access works
Ask for planning advice before you install permanent infrastructure.
A moveable toilet, shower or waste facility may be reasonably necessary for the temporary use. A permanent building needs separate consideration.
England’s annual notification process
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before the campsite starts in each calendar year.
Send:
- A site plan
- The campsite dates
- Toilet arrangements
- Waste disposal arrangements
- Pitch locations
- Access details where useful
Use exact dates.
Do not write “during summer”.
Keep:
- The submitted notification
- The site plan
- Proof of submission
- Any council response
- Your day-count log
- Facility inspection records
The local planning authority must pass the notice to the relevant fire and rescue authority where required.
Notification is not the same as planning permission.
It is the condition attached to the Class BC permitted development right.
Prior approval for flood zones in England
Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3 creates an extra step.
You must apply for prior approval before the campsite begins in that calendar year.
Your application must include:
- A site-specific flood risk assessment
- Flood warning arrangements
- Evacuation arrangements
- The site plan
- Proposed operating dates
- The required fee
The local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency.
The authority has up to 56 days to decide.
Do not open simply because you submitted the application.
Start only when:
- Written prior approval is granted, or
- 56 days pass without the authority notifying you of its decision
Read the official Class BC legislation and check the official flood risk guidance.
Class BA camping Wales: the 2026 position
Class BA applies in Wales.
It provides a separate permitted development right for temporary recreational campsites.
Outside protected landscapes, Class BA allows up to 60 days per calendar year.
Inside a:
- National Park
- National Landscape
- World Heritage Site
the limit falls to 28 days per calendar year.
This is the key Welsh difference.
Do not apply the general 60-day limit to protected land.
Check the designation before you plan your season.
Wales has no national 50-pitch cap
Class BA does not set an England-style national limit of 50 pitches.
That does not mean you can create any scale of site.
The local planning authority can assess the effect of your proposal through the determination and prior approval process.
Access, traffic, facilities and local impacts still matter.
Keep the layout proportionate to the land and the proposed use.
The Welsh 100m buffer zone campsite rule
Class BA does not permit campsite use on land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
A protected dwelling means a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
The rule can affect:
- Farms
- Pubs
- Hotels
- Rural businesses
- Land beside neighbouring homes
- Accommodation with separate occupied flats
A private way can pass through the buffer where the legislation allows it.
Camping cannot take place within the restricted area.
Map the buffer before you choose pitches.
Show it on your site plan.
Ask the local planning authority how it expects the distance to be measured.
Wales uses an annual determination process
Class BA is not based on simple notification.
Before starting in each calendar year, you must apply to the local planning authority for a determination.
The application must include:
- A site plan
- Toilet and wastewater arrangements
- Waste disposal arrangements
- Pitch and amenity locations
- Access from the highway
- Operating dates
- Any required fee
The authority has 28 days to:
- Confirm that prior approval is not required.
- Notify you that the application is incomplete.
- Decide that prior approval is required.
You must not begin until:
- You receive written confirmation that prior approval is not required,
- 28 days pass without an invalidity notice or determination, or
- You receive written prior approval after making the further application
If prior approval is required, follow the approved details.
Submit early.
Do not take non-refundable bookings before you understand the timetable.
Welsh flood zones and excluded sites
Class BA does not apply to land in:
- Flood Zone 2
- Flood Zone 3
- A Site of Special Scientific Interest
- A Special Area of Conservation
- A Special Protection Area
- A Ramsar site
- A scheduled monument
- The site of a listed building
- A safety hazard area
- A military explosives storage area
- Land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except for a permitted private way
This differs from England.
In England, Class BC can trigger prior approval in Flood Zones 2 and 3.
In Wales, Class BA excludes Flood Zones 2 and 3.
Check the Welsh Flood Risk Map before you prepare your plan.
Check environmental and heritage designations too.
If an exclusion applies, Class BA does not give you consent.
You may need full planning permission.
Class BC England vs Class BA Wales
| Issue | England: Class BC | Wales: Class BA |
|---|---|---|
| Standard annual limit | 60 days | 60 days |
| Protected landscapes | No national Class BC reduction | 28 days in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites |
| Pitch limit | Maximum 50 pitches | No national pitch cap stated |
| Annual process | Written notification | Determination application |
| Flood Zones 2 and 3 | Prior approval required | Class BA excluded |
| 100m dwelling buffer | No national Class BC buffer | Applies to protected dwellings |
| Facilities | Toilets and waste disposal required | Toilet, wastewater and waste arrangements required |
| Units | Tents, motorhomes and campervans | Tents, motorhomes and campervans |
| Touring caravans | Not covered by Class BC | Not covered by Class BA |
The 28-day rule is not a general campsite right
The old 28-day rule is often misunderstood.
In England, Class B permits some temporary uses of land for up to 28 days.
It does not provide a general right to operate a campsite.
Ordinary camping is excluded, except for narrow festival-related circumstances.
Use Class BC for a qualifying temporary recreational campsite in England.
In Wales, the new Class BA right changes the position.
The 28-day limit now applies to qualifying sites in protected landscapes.
It is not the general limit for every Welsh campsite.
Planning permission and campsite licensing are separate
Permitted development rights deal with planning control.
A campsite licence is a separate requirement.
You may need a licence under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 and related public health legislation.
Licensing requirements can apply where land is used for camping beyond certain periods, subject to exemptions and local authority decisions.
Check with your council.
You may also need to address:
- Fire safety
- Wastewater
- Drinking water
- Environmental health
- Highways
- Waste collection
- Guest safety
- Insurance
- Nature protection
Planning consent does not automatically create a campsite licence.
A campsite licence does not automatically grant planning permission.
Check both routes before you open.
A practical checklist for farm diversification camping
Follow this order.
If your land is in England
- Confirm that Class BC applies.
- Check excluded sites and local restrictions.
- Choose tents, motorhomes or campervans.
- Keep within 60 days.
- Keep within 50 pitches.
- Provide toilets and waste disposal.
- Prepare the site plan.
- Notify the local planning authority.
- Apply for prior approval if any part is in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
- Keep a live compliance record.
If your land is in Wales
- Confirm that Class BA applies.
- Check the protected landscape designation.
- Use the 60-day or 28-day limit.
- Measure the 100m buffer.
- Check all excluded sites.
- Exclude touring caravans and static units.
- Prepare the annual determination application.
- Include access, facilities, pitches and dates.
- Allow the full 28-day determination period.
- Apply for prior approval if the authority requires it.
Plan your campsite with Open Sky Adventure
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, hospitality owners and rural landowners assess camping opportunities.
We can help you review:
- Class BC camping England
- Class BA camping Wales
- The 60-day rule
- The Welsh 28-day limit
- The 100m buffer
- Site exclusions
- Access and facilities
- Guest safety
- Farm diversification camping
- Licensing and operating options
Start with Unlock Your Land and Potential.
Review our legal information.
Then contact Open Sky Adventure.
Join the Open Sky Adventure 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.
Legal disclaimer
This guide provides general information about camping legislation UK 2026.
It is not legal advice.
Planning rules can change.
Local restrictions, Article 4 Directions, site conditions, licensing rules and land designations can affect your position.
Check the current legislation and speak to your local planning authority or a qualified planning professional before you commit to bookings, structures or investment.