Meta description: Learn how Class BA camping Wales rules work in 2026, including the 100m buffer zone, 60-day rule, 28-day limit, prior approval and farm diversification options.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your Welsh land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the rules first.
Build the site around them.
Use Class BA correctly, plan outside the 100m buffer, submit your annual application, and protect your future income.
This guide explains the main steps.
What is Class BA camping in Wales?
Class BA is a permitted development right in Wales.
It allows the temporary use of land as a recreational campsite.
It can also allow moveable structures needed for the site, such as:
- Portable toilets
- Waste facilities
- Handwashing points
- Temporary site equipment
The rules come from the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026.
Class BA does not remove every planning risk.
You must still check:
- The location
- The land designation
- The 100m buffer
- The annual day limit
- Access
- Toilets and wastewater
- Waste disposal
- Camping licences
- Caravan restrictions
Treat Class BA as a compliance route.
Do not treat it as a shortcut.
The 60-day rule, and when it becomes 28 days
The standard Class BA limit is 60 days in total in each calendar year.
This applies where the land is outside the protected areas listed in the Welsh rules.
The limit becomes 28 days in total in each calendar year if any part of the land is within:
- A National Park
- An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- A National Landscape
- A World Heritage Site
| Site location | Maximum use under Class BA |
|---|---|
| General land in Wales | 60 days per calendar year |
| National Park | 28 days per calendar year |
| AONB or National Landscape | 28 days per calendar year |
| World Heritage Site | 28 days per calendar year |
Check the whole site.
Do not check only the pitch area.
If any part of the land falls within a protected designation, use the 28-day limit.
The temporary campsite 60 days rule is not a free annual allowance. You still need to follow the Class BA process before starting.
The 100m buffer zone campsite rule
The 100m rule is the key issue for many Welsh sites.
Class BA does not permit the campsite use of 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 restriction applies to campsite use.
That can include:
- Tent pitches
- Campervan areas
- Toilets
- Showers
- Waste facilities
- Other moveable campsite structures
The private access route is the narrow exception.
You cannot place pitches inside the buffer and assume prior approval will solve the issue.
Prior approval cannot create a Class BA right where the legislation excludes it.
How to deal with the 100m buffer
Map every nearby dwelling.
Confirm who occupies each property.
Mark a 100-metre buffer around each protected dwelling.
Then move the campsite use outside those lines.
Use a scaled site plan.
Show:
- Property boundaries
- Protected dwellings
- Buffer lines
- Pitch locations
- Toilets
- Waste points
- Access routes
- Parking
- Emergency access
Do not measure by eye.
Use a professional site plan or a reliable mapping tool.
You cannot simply “beat” the buffer
The safest strategy is not to challenge the 100m buffer.
It is to design around it.
Use the outer part of a field.
Place the pitches beside a woodland edge or field boundary, where suitable.
Keep facilities with the pitches.
Use the land within the buffer only for a private access route, where permitted.
Do not use the buffer as a parking area unless you have checked the planning position.
Do not place portable toilets beside a neighbouring home.
Do not describe a campsite as a storage area if visitors will use it.
Keep the plan accurate.
A clear layout helps the council understand your proposal.
It also helps you run the site without neighbour complaints.
Prior approval campsite applications in Wales
Class BA requires an annual application before development starts.
The first step is an application for a determination as to whether prior approval is required.
Submit this to your local planning authority before using the land in that calendar year.
Your application must include a site plan and key details.
Show:
- Toilet and wastewater arrangements
- Waste disposal facilities
- Pitch and amenity locations
- Highway access
- Proposed operating dates
- Site boundaries
The council has 28 days to issue its determination or notify you that the application is incomplete.
Do not start early.
You can begin only when one of the permitted steps has happened.
This may be:
- The council confirms that prior approval is not required.
- Twenty-eight days pass without the required notice or determination.
- Prior approval is required, you submit the further application, and the council confirms approval in writing.
If the council requires prior approval, focus on:
- Highway safety
- Traffic movement
- Access visibility
- Wastewater
- Waste collection
- Site management
- Neighbour impact
The council may ask for extra information.
Prepare it before you apply.
Use the Welsh Government’s prior approval determination information and check the current Class BA legislation.
Build a stronger application pack
Create one clear document pack.
Include:
- A location plan
- A block plan
- A 100m buffer plan
- A pitch schedule
- Access photographs
- Highway details
- Toilet information
- Wastewater arrangements
- Waste collection arrangements
- Emergency contact details
- Operating dates
- A neighbour management plan
Keep the language plain.
State how many pitches you will provide.
State what guests may bring.
State where cars will park.
State how wastewater will be managed.
State how you will prevent overflow.
Do not promise facilities that you will not provide.
Do not show pitches inside a protected buffer.
Use the same layout in every document.
This prevents avoidable questions.
Check the Class BA exclusions
Class BA does not apply everywhere.
The right is excluded on or within certain sensitive sites.
Check whether the land is:
- A scheduled monument
- A Special Area of Conservation
- A safety hazard area
- A military explosives storage area
- A Site of Special Scientific Interest
- A Ramsar site
- A listed building site
- A Special Protection Area
- Flood Zone 2
- Flood Zone 3
- Within 100 metres of a protected dwelling
Use the Flood Map for Wales and ask the local planning authority about designations.
If the land falls within an excluded category, obtain planning advice before spending money.
You may need a full planning application.
Be careful with caravans and glamping units
Class BA does not permit the siting of any caravan except a caravan that is a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
This can cover some campervans and motorhomes.
It does not automatically cover every caravan, pod, lodge or glamping unit.
Check each accommodation type.
Do not assume that a bell tent, shepherd’s hut, pod or cabin has the same planning status as a tent.
If you want permanent facilities, hardstanding, static units or regular touring caravans, Class BA may not be enough.
Plan a separate permission route.
Farm diversification camping
Camping can support a wider farm diversification plan.
Start with the land.
Then match the offer to the site.
Farmers can consider:
- Seasonal tent pitches
- Guided walks
- Wildlife stays
- Outdoor skills sessions
- Campfire activities
- Small group bookings
- Local food partnerships
Keep the campsite separate from livestock areas.
Protect farm access.
Create a clear guest route.
Provide written safety instructions.
Use professional equipment and trained staff.
Open Sky Adventure can help you review the land, the operating model and the compliance route through Unlock Your Land.
Pubs and hotels can use the guest journey
A pub or hotel can link camping with existing services.
Offer:
- Breakfast bookings
- Evening meals
- Local walks
- Bike routes
- Outdoor activities
- Secure parking
- Weather information
- Guest equipment hire
Keep campsite guests and other customers safe.
Separate vehicle movements.
Control noise.
Set quiet hours.
Manage lighting.
Protect neighbours.
Start with a small number of pitches.
Test demand.
Track bookings, costs, complaints and repeat visits.
Then decide whether you need a larger planning application.
Do not forget the camping licence
Planning permission and licensing are separate.
A valid permitted development right may establish the planning position.
You may still need a camping licence from your local authority.
Read the GOV.UK camping licence guidance.
Check the rules for your site.
Check whether your accommodation includes caravans.
Check whether an exemption applies.
Do this before opening.
Your Class BA action plan
Follow these steps.
- Map the entire site.
- Check protected landscapes.
- Confirm whether the limit is 60 or 28 days.
- Map every protected dwelling.
- Draw each 100m buffer.
- Remove campsite use from the buffers.
- Check excluded designations.
- Check flood risk.
- Confirm the accommodation type.
- Design toilets, wastewater and waste systems.
- Prepare the site plan.
- Submit the annual determination application.
- Wait for the required notice or period.
- Apply for prior approval if required.
- Check the camping licence position.
- Open only after the compliance steps are complete.
Make your land work harder, legally
Class BA camping Wales rules can support farm diversification and rural hospitality.
The 100m buffer needs careful design.
The 60-day rule needs annual tracking.
Protected sites may have a 28-day limit.
Prior approval needs a complete application.
Licensing still matters.
Start with a site review.
Use accurate plans.
Keep every promise operational.
Open Sky Adventure helps landowners plan safe, compliant outdoor experiences. Read our legal guidance, review your options, then contact Open Sky Adventure.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
This article provides general information. Ask your local planning authority or a qualified planning professional for advice on your specific site.