Meta description: Understand camping legislation UK 2026, Class BC camping England, Class BA camping Wales, the 100m buffer zone, prior approval, licensing thresholds and farm diversification camping.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your land may support a campsite.
Start with the rules.
Plan the site.
Count the days.
Keep clear records.
This guide explains the main permitted development rights campsite UK operators need to understand in 2026.
Use it to assess a field, plan income and avoid preventable mistakes.
Disclaimer: This article gives general information only. It is not legal advice. Check your proposal with the relevant local planning authority and qualified advisers before you open or invest.
Camping legislation UK 2026: start with the right route
The old 28-day rule is not a general campsite licence.
It does not give you an automatic right to run a campsite.
In England, check Class BC camping England rules.
In Wales, check Class BA camping Wales rules.
The country matters.
The site location matters.
The land designation matters.
Your campsite unit types matter.
Planning permission and campsite licensing are separate.
Check both.
Read the Open Sky Adventure legal information before you commit to dates or equipment.
England: use Class BC for a temporary campsite
Class BC allows a temporary recreational campsite in England for up to:
- 60 days in one calendar year
- 50 pitches at any one time
- Tents, motorhomes and campervans designed for human habitation
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite
You must provide toilets and waste disposal facilities.
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before campsite use starts each calendar year.
Include:
- A site plan
- Pitch locations
- Toilet facilities
- Waste facilities
- Operating dates
- Access arrangements
Class BC does not create a permanent campsite.
It does not cover every structure.
Check permanent buildings, hardstanding, drainage works and access changes separately.
England does not have the Welsh 100m buffer under Class BC.
You still need to consider neighbours, access, noise, flood risk, local planning restrictions and site licensing.
Class BC prior approval: check Flood Zones 2 and 3
A prior approval campsite process applies when the proposed Class BC site is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Apply before using the site that year.
Prepare:
- A site-specific Flood Risk Assessment
- Flood warning arrangements
- An evacuation plan
- The campsite site plan
- Pitch locations
- Toilet and waste facilities
- Proposed operating dates
- The required local authority fee
The local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency.
The consultation must allow at least 21 days for a response.
The council has a 56-day decision period.
Do not open when you submit the application.
Start only after:
- Written prior approval is granted, or
- 56 days pass without the authority notifying you of its decision
Keep the application receipt.
Keep the plans.
Keep all council correspondence.
Submit early.
Do not advertise non-refundable bookings before you know your timetable.
Check the official flood map for planning before choosing a field.
Wales: understand Class BA camping
Wales now uses Class BA for temporary recreational campsites.
The old route changed on 1 September 2026.
Do not rely on the old 28-day camping rule for ordinary campsite use.
Class BA allows:
- Up to 60 days per calendar year on most land
- Up to 28 days per calendar year in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites
- Tents, motorhomes and campervans
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the use
The limit applies to the land.
It is not 60 days per pitch.
It is not 60 days per field.
Keep one day-count record for the whole campsite operation.
Check the Class BA legislation before you plan your season.
The 100m buffer zone campsite rule in Wales
Class BA does not permit campsite use within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
A protected dwelling is a house or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
A neighbour’s home may count.
An occupied flat may count.
A separate dwelling linked to a pub, hotel or farm may count.
Map the buffer before you draw the pitch plan.
Use this process:
- Identify every nearby dwelling.
- Confirm who occupies each dwelling.
- Mark the dwelling curtilage on a scaled site plan.
- Draw a 100-metre radius.
- Remove pitches inside the buffer.
- Move facilities and campsite activity outside the restricted area.
- Ask the local planning authority to confirm your interpretation.
Measure properly.
Do not measure from the nearest wall only.
Do not assume a large field solves the issue.
Do not treat a barn, shop or empty building as a protected dwelling unless it meets the relevant definition.
A private access way may pass through the buffer.
Camping cannot take place there under Class BA.
The 100m buffer cannot be fixed through the prior approval process.
If the buffer affects your whole site, investigate full planning permission or choose another field.
Class BA determination: allow 28 days
Before using the land each year, apply to the local planning authority for a determination.
Cover:
- Toilets
- Wastewater
- Waste disposal
- Vehicular access
- Site boundaries
- Pitch locations
- Operating dates
- The 100m buffer
- Any required fee
The authority has a 28-day response window.
It may confirm that prior approval is not required.
It may request more information.
It may decide that prior approval is required.
Traffic impacts can trigger prior approval.
This applies where the authority considers that the campsite is likely to cause a material increase in traffic or a material change in the character of traffic near the site.
Plan for this.
Provide:
- Expected guest numbers
- Arrival and departure patterns
- Vehicle numbers
- Access width
- Visibility details
- Parking arrangements
- Passing places
- Emergency access
- Traffic management measures
If prior approval is required, submit the further application.
Wait for written approval or the relevant 28-day period before starting.
Operate only within the approved details.
Choose the right field
Good farm diversification camping starts with field selection.
Choose land with:
- Safe highway access
- Firm ground
- Good drainage
- Low flood risk
- Space for emergency vehicles
- Distance from livestock
- Room for toilets and waste facilities
- Space for guest parking
- Separation from occupied homes
- A clear route for waste collection
Do not choose an empty field without checking access.
Do not place guests beside livestock gates.
Do not rely on a distant toilet.
Do not install permanent buildings under the assumption that Class BA or Class BC covers them.
Start with one field.
Test demand.
Review the operation.
Then decide whether to expand.
Plan pitches and facilities
Keep the layout simple.
Show these items on your plan:
- Site boundary
- Pitches
- Access and exit routes
- Parking
- Toilets
- Showers, where offered
- Wastewater arrangements
- Waste storage
- Drinking water
- Fire points
- Emergency access
- Buffer zones
- Flood evacuation routes
Use moveable facilities where the permitted development right allows them.
Keep servicing records.
Record waste collections.
Inspect toilets daily.
Keep emergency information visible.
Give every guest clear instructions on fires, waste, quiet hours, vehicles and local routes.
Track the 60 days
The temporary campsite 60 days rule needs a live record.
Record:
- Every operating date
- Every field used
- Number of pitches
- Unit types
- Guest numbers
- Arrival and departure dates
- Facility checks
- Waste collections
- Weather warnings
- Flood warnings
- Any closure days
Do not assume moving guests to another field creates new days.
It may not.
Count the total use correctly.
For Wales, track whether the land sits in a protected landscape.
Use 28 days where that lower limit applies.
For England, track the Class BC total.
Keep the record for every calendar year.
Check the campsite licence thresholds
Planning rights do not remove licensing duties.
For tented camping, a campsite licence is normally needed when use reaches:
- 42 consecutive days, or
- 60 days in any 12-month period
The thresholds are separate from the Class BC and Class BA planning limits.
If you operate for 60 days, check licensing before opening.
Contact your local authority.
Review the UK camping licence guidance.
Do not treat planning permission as a licence.
Do not treat a licence as planning permission.
Build a revenue plan for your business
Choose an operating model.
For farms
Start with tent pitches.
Add campervan pitches only where the ground and access work.
Offer local walks, breakfast baskets or farm experiences where suitable.
Protect livestock operations.
For pubs
Link camping with food sales.
Offer breakfast slots.
Promote evening meals.
Create walking routes from the site.
Manage vehicle movements away from bedrooms and dining areas.
For hotels
Use camping to support quieter periods.
Offer short breaks.
Add guided walks or outdoor activities.
Sell breakfast, dinner and local experiences.
Keep campsite access separate from guest accommodation where possible.
Use a simple forecast:
Pitches × sellable nights × expected occupancy × average nightly price
Then add secondary income.
Subtract:
- Toilets
- Waste collection
- Staffing
- Insurance
- Equipment
- Ground repairs
- Marketing
- Licensing
- Planning costs
Test the model before spending heavily.
Use Open Sky Adventure to simplify the process
Camping legislation UK 2026 creates an opportunity.
It also creates tasks.
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, pubs, hotels and rural landowners assess land, plan pitches, organise documents and build a compliant camping offer.
Start with Unlock Your Land and Potential.
Then contact Open Sky Adventure with your site location and proposed use.
Check the Open Sky Adventure legal information.
Measure the land.
Check the designation.
Map the buffer.
Plan the facilities.
Submit early.
Track every day.
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.