Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your field may support a temporary campsite.
Start with the site plan.
Then check the planning route, the pitch limit, the facilities and the safety controls.
This guide covers England’s Class BC permitted development right in 2026. It also explains the 28-day rule and the different position in Wales.
Planning rules can change. Check your local planning authority before you open.
England Class BC: the main limits
Class BC allows a temporary recreational campsite in England for:
- Up to 60 days in total in each calendar year
- Up to 50 pitches
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite
Read the wording in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2023.
The 50-pitch ceiling applies to the site.
It is not 50 pitches per field.
It is not 50 pitches per booking period.
Count the pitches across the whole temporary campsite.
You must also notify the local planning authority before the campsite starts in each calendar year. Include:
- Your site plan
- The toilet and waste facilities
- The dates when the site will operate
If the land sits in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, prior approval may be required before you begin.
Check flood mapping early.
What counts as a pitch?
Class BC does not provide a simple national definition of “pitch”.
Use a clear working definition.
Treat each separately occupied and managed camping space as one pitch. Mark each space on the plan. Give each space a reference number.
For example:
- Pitch 1
- Pitch 2
- Pitch 3
- Pitch 4
Do not use a vague area and call it “50 pitches”.
Show the position of each tent or campervan space. Show the route between them. Show the access lane and service points.
A large group may use one area. You still need to explain how you count that area. Ask your local planning authority if the arrangement is unclear.
There is no national Class BC limit on the number of people per pitch. That does not remove your duty to plan for:
- Toilets
- Handwashing
- Waste
- Fire safety
- Emergency access
- Safe vehicle movement
- Site licensing requirements
Design for the real number of guests.
Tents, motorhomes and campervans
Class BC is aimed at temporary camping.
The permitted units are:
- Tents
- Motorhomes
- Campervans
A motorhome or campervan must be a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
A towed touring caravan is different.
It does not fall within the Class BC caravan exception.
Do not advertise touring caravan pitches under Class BC without checking a separate planning route.
Static caravans also sit outside this temporary right. They involve a different use and a different planning assessment.
Glamping pods usually sit outside the right too. A pod is not automatically permitted because it is moveable. The Class BC allowance for moveable structures covers items reasonably needed for the campsite, such as toilets or a small reception facility. It does not turn permanent or semi-permanent accommodation into a lawful Class BC pitch.
Do not add:
- Touring caravans
- Static caravans
- Glamping pods
- Cabins
- Permanent lodges
Apply for planning permission or obtain specific professional advice if you want these units.
Plan the pitch layout first
Start with the entrance.
Then work through the site in this order:
- Arrival
- Parking
- Turning
- Camping pitches
- Toilets and handwashing
- Waste and wastewater
- Emergency access
- Livestock and machinery separation
Keep the layout simple.
Use clear pitch rows or small clusters.
Leave enough space for people to walk safely. Avoid tight corners. Avoid placing tents directly beside vehicle routes.
Use natural boundaries where possible. Use hedges, fencing and existing field edges. Avoid unnecessary hardstanding if the site is temporary.
Do not allow vehicles to block the only route through the site.
Mark a turning area. Check it with the largest vehicle you expect to enter. Include servicing vehicles, waste collection vehicles and emergency vehicles.
Ask your local fire and rescue service or competent fire adviser for site-specific guidance. Do not rely on a generic distance copied from another campsite.
Create fire breaks between pitch groups where appropriate. Keep grass cut around key routes. Remove dry vegetation from fire points and access lanes.
Separate cooking and fire areas from tents, vehicles, trees and combustible storage. Set clear rules for guests. Record inspections.
Toilets, handwashing and waste points
Class BC requires on-site toilet and waste disposal facilities.
Place facilities where guests can reach them easily. Keep them away from livestock areas, watercourses and food preparation areas.
Provide:
- Portable toilets
- Handwashing stations
- Soap
- Clean water
- Paper towels or hand-drying facilities
- Covered waste bins
- A clear wastewater collection point
- A servicing route
Do not place portable toilets at the end of a narrow field with no vehicle access.
Do not discharge wastewater onto the ground.
Use a suitable holding system. Arrange lawful collection and disposal. Keep records.
Separate general waste from recycling where practical. Secure bins against wind, animals and pests.
Your campsite licence or local environmental health team may require more. Planning permission does not replace licensing.
Read your council’s campsite guidance before you buy equipment. North Norfolk District Council explains why planning and site licensing must be considered together.
Keep guests away from farm activity
A working farm is not a leisure site.
Separate guests from:
- Livestock
- Slurry stores
- Pesticide stores
- Grain stores
- Wells and ponds
- Tractors
- Machinery yards
- Public rights of way
- Farm deliveries
- Electric fences
Use secure gates and clear boundaries.
Do not rely on signs alone.
Plan a separate route for farm vehicles. Keep the campsite away from turning areas and machinery storage.
Tell guests which areas are private. Include this information in booking instructions and arrival briefings.
Keep children away from livestock and water. Provide a safe walking route to toilets and parking.
For a pub or hotel, separate camping traffic from customer parking, deliveries and staff access. For a farm, keep campsite traffic away from harvest routes and animal movements.
Parking, access and emergencies
Give vehicles a clear arrival point.
Provide a firm entrance where possible. Keep the gate wide enough for emergency and servicing vehicles.
Show these features on your site plan:
- Site entrance
- Gate width
- One-way route, if used
- Parking spaces
- Turning area
- Emergency access
- Fire point locations
- Water point
- Toilets
- Waste point
- Pitch numbers
- Livestock boundaries
- Public rights of way
Do not let guests park on grass that blocks emergency access.
Keep an access lane open during every booking period. Check it after heavy rain. Check it after guest arrival.
Display the site address and emergency location information. Make sure staff can direct emergency services to the correct entrance.
Keep a simple incident log. Record blocked routes, fires, injuries, flooding and guest complaints.
Remove the site when the camping period ends
Class BC is temporary.
Remove the temporary campsite when your operating days finish.
Take away:
- Tents supplied by the operator
- Portable toilets
- Handwashing units
- Waste bins
- Temporary reception structures
- Temporary fencing
- Signs
- Water tanks
- Temporary lighting
- Other moveable campsite equipment
Clear waste. Repair damage. Remove surplus materials.
Do not leave a field set up as a permanent campsite between operating periods.
Do not install permanent bases, roads, drainage or accommodation without checking whether planning permission is needed.
Keep records of opening and closing dates. Take dated photographs. Save waste collection records. Keep copies of your annual notification and site plan.
These records help show how you used the land.
The 28-day rule in England
The old 28-day camping rule causes confusion.
In 2026, do not assume that the general 28-day right lets a new campsite operate.
The England rules changed. Class BC now provides the specific temporary recreational campsite route, with the 60-day and 50-pitch limits.
Some long-established sites may have historic rights or transitional issues. The date the site first operated can matter. The exact facts matter too.
Check your position with your local planning authority before relying on an old 28-day arrangement.
Read our guide to unlocking land for camping and our advice on temporary campsite days and site records.
Wales: Class BA has no matching 50-pitch ceiling
Wales uses a different permitted development order.
The 2026 Welsh Class BA right does not set the same national 50-pitch limit as England’s Class BC.
The main time limits are:
- Up to 60 days in a calendar year in most areas
- Up to 28 days in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites
Read the Welsh Government guidance on temporary campsite permitted development rights.
No national pitch cap does not mean unlimited development.
You still need a workable layout. You still need toilets, waste controls, safe access, fire planning and separation from farm operations.
Prior notification or prior approval may apply. Article 4 Directions may also restrict permitted development rights in some areas.
Check with the Welsh planning authority before you operate.
Simple site-plan checklist
Use this checklist before submitting your notification or opening your site.
- Confirm the land is in England or Wales
- Confirm the correct permitted development class
- Count the total pitches
- Mark every pitch on the plan
- Limit England Class BC to 50 pitches
- Allow tents, motorhomes or campervans only in England
- Exclude touring caravans, static caravans and pods unless separately authorised
- Record the operating dates
- Show the site entrance
- Show parking and turning
- Keep emergency access open
- Locate toilets and handwashing
- Locate wastewater and waste points
- Mark fire breaks and fire points
- Separate guests from livestock
- Separate guests from machinery
- Check flood risk
- Check Article 4 Directions
- Check site licensing
- Plan removal after the camping days end
- Keep dated records and photographs
Plan the field before you take bookings.
Make the limits visible.
Use the right units.
Keep the operation temporary.
For more support, read our legal guidance or contact Open Sky Adventure.
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