Hello, landowner.
Your field may support a temporary campsite.
Count the days first.
Check the correct planning route.
Keep dated evidence from day one.
This guide explains the temporary campsite 60 days rule for 2026, including Class BC camping England, Class BA camping Wales, the 28-day rule, prior approval, and a simple day-tracking method.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Check your local planning authority before taking bookings.
The rules at a glance
| Location | Main permitted development right | Annual limit | Main extra checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Class BC | 60 days per calendar year | Up to 50 pitches, notification, facilities, flood-zone prior approval |
| Wales, ordinary land | Class BA | 60 days per calendar year | Annual determination, facilities, access, exclusions |
| Wales, National Park, AONB or World Heritage Site | Class BA | 28 days per calendar year | Protected landscape limit, 100-metre dwelling restriction |
The 60-day allowance resets on 1 January.
It does not reset after 60 days from your first booking.
It does not run on a rolling 12-month basis for planning.
That distinction matters.
Read the official England Class BC legislation and the Wales Class BA legislation.
What the temporary campsite 60 days rule means
England: Class BC camping
Class BC allows the use of land as a recreational campsite for:
- No more than 60 days in total in one calendar year.
- No more than 50 pitches.
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
You must provide toilet and waste-disposal facilities on site.
You must notify your local planning authority in writing before starting each calendar year.
Your notification must include:
- A site plan.
- Toilet and waste facilities.
- The dates when the site will be in use.
Class BC does not apply to every site.
It excludes certain locations, including:
- Scheduled monuments.
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Listed building sites.
- Safety hazard areas.
- Military explosives storage areas.
Traditional towed caravans are also excluded from Class BC. Motorhomes and campervans may qualify where they meet the legal definition.
Check for any local Article 4 Direction. It may remove or restrict permitted development rights.
Wales: Class BA camping
Class BA allows temporary recreational camping for:
- Up to 60 days per calendar year on most land.
- Up to 28 days per calendar year in a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or World Heritage Site.
This is the main Welsh position for Class BA camping Wales in 2026.
Class BA also restricts land in:
- Flood Zones 2 and 3.
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Special Areas of Conservation.
- Special Protection Areas.
- Ramsar sites.
- Scheduled monument sites.
- Listed building sites.
- Safety hazard areas.
- Military explosives storage areas.
It also restricts use within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except for a private way.
A protected dwelling means a house or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
Measure this distance before you draw the pitch layout.
How to count the days
The allowance counts days of campsite use.
It does not count:
- Bookings.
- Guests.
- Pitches used.
- Groups staying overnight.
Count each calendar day when the land is being used as a campsite.
Use this practical rule:
If camping units or campsite facilities remain on the land for that day, count the day.
This includes:
- A day when guests stay.
- A day when tents remain empty.
- A day when motorhomes or campervans remain on site.
- A day when temporary toilets remain in place.
- A day when waste facilities remain available.
- A setup day.
- A pack-down day.
An empty campsite may still use an allowance day.
For example, you open on Friday and remove the last temporary toilet on Monday.
Count Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
That is four days.
Do not count only the nights sold.
Do not remove a day because the weather caused a cancellation.
Do not count each pitch separately.
The 60-day limit applies to the campsite use. If you move guests from one field to another as part of the same operation, do not assume that you have created a new allowance.
Use one site-wide calendar unless your planning adviser confirms that separate land uses can be treated separately.
When the allowance resets
Planning days reset at the start of each calendar year.
The planning year runs from:
1 January to 31 December.
Example:
- 2026 operation: count from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026.
- 2027 operation: begin a new count on 1 January 2027.
A campsite operating from 20 December to 5 January crosses two planning years.
Count:
- 20 to 31 December in the first year.
- 1 to 5 January in the next year.
Do not use the January reset to extend one continuous setup without checking the rules.
The land must still comply with all other conditions.
Licensing uses different tests.
GOV.UK states that a camping licence may be needed if tents are used for:
- More than 42 days in a row.
- More than 60 days in any 12-month period.
Planning and licensing are separate.
A new calendar year may reset your planning count.
It does not necessarily remove a licensing issue.
Check the GOV.UK camping licence guidance before opening.
What breaks the allowance
A day-count problem is not the only risk.
You may lose the protection of permitted development rights if you:
Exceed the annual limit
Do not operate beyond 60 days in England or ordinary Welsh land.
Do not exceed 28 days in the Welsh protected landscape categories.
Do not add the old 28-day rule to the Class BC or Class BA allowance.
Use the wrong route
The old general 28-day rule is not a free campsite allowance.
In England, ordinary temporary recreational camping should normally be checked against Class BC.
In Wales, check Class BA.
The old general Class B route now excludes ordinary camping, apart from narrow festival-related use.
Start before required notices or approvals
In England, notify the local planning authority before starting each year.
If the site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, apply for prior approval before opening.
Submit a site-specific flood risk assessment, warning arrangements and evacuation arrangements.
Do not start until written prior approval arrives or the statutory 56-day process allows you to proceed.
In Wales, submit the annual determination application before starting.
The council may decide that prior approval is required, especially where traffic could materially increase or change.
Do not open until the required written approval is issued.
Use the Open Sky Adventure prior approval walkthrough.
Fail to provide facilities
Class BC requires on-site toilet and waste-disposal facilities.
Class BA requires details of toilets, wastewater and waste disposal.
Show each facility on your site plan.
Arrange servicing and collection.
Keep invoices, inspection records and photographs.
Exceed the pitch limit
Class BC allows no more than 50 pitches.
Do not count only occupied pitches.
Count the pitches provided as part of the site layout.
Keep the number on the approved or notified plan.
Use a simple day tracker
Set up one spreadsheet before taking bookings.
Use one row for each date.
| Date | Field | Tents or vehicles present? | Facilities present? | Site open? | Day counted? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/07/2026 | North field | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 | Booking report, photo |
| 13/07/2026 | North field | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 | Site check |
| 14/07/2026 | North field | No | Yes | No | 1 | Toilet collection note |
| 15/07/2026 | North field | No | No | No | 0 | Facilities removed |
Keep a running total.
Use a separate total for each calendar year.
Add a warning at 50 days.
Stop accepting dates that could take you over the limit.
Record the whole site, not just paid bookings.
Update the tracker when:
- You install facilities.
- You accept the first arrival.
- You close the site.
- You remove the last facility.
- You change fields.
- You cancel a booking period.
- You respond to an incident.
Keep evidence a planning authority can follow
Keep one digital and one printed compliance file.
Evidence checklist
- Annual site plan.
- Exact operating dates.
- Notification or determination application.
- Prior approval application, if required.
- Council acknowledgements.
- Written decisions.
- Facility installation records.
- Facility removal records.
- Toilet servicing invoices.
- Waste collection records.
- Daily opening and closing logs.
- Dated photographs.
- Booking reports.
- Pitch layout.
- Access and emergency route plan.
- Flood risk assessment, where relevant.
- Article 4 Direction check.
- Licensing correspondence.
- Insurance documents.
- Incident and complaint records.
Take photographs when you:
- Install facilities.
- Open the site.
- Inspect the pitches.
- Remove facilities.
- Close the site.
Keep the original file dates.
Do not rely on memory.
A dated log gives the council a clear answer to three questions:
- When was the land used?
- What was present?
- How many days remain?
Make farm diversification camping manageable
Start with one field.
Use fewer pitches.
Choose dates before the season starts.
Keep guests away from livestock.
Plan waste removal.
Protect gates, tracks and public rights of way.
Then review your figures.
Track:
- Occupancy.
- Income per pitch.
- Facility costs.
- Waste costs.
- Staffing.
- Insurance.
- Complaints.
- Remaining days.
Read our guide to UK camping legislation and permitted development rights.
Use the rules as a planning tool.
Do not treat the allowance as a target.
Final check before you open
Confirm your location.
Choose Class BC or Class BA.
Check the 60-day or 28-day limit.
Check protected landscapes.
Check Article 4 Directions.
Map nearby dwellings in Wales.
Check flood zones.
Prepare the site plan.
Provide toilets and waste facilities.
Submit the correct notice or application.
Wait for any required approval.
Start the dated day log.
Review the total every week.
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Meta description: Learn how the temporary campsite 60 days rule works in 2026, including Class BC camping England, Class BA camping Wales, day counting, resets, prior approval and evidence logs.