Hello, farmer, landowner, pub owner or hotel operator.
You may want a small caravan site.
You may not want a full campsite licence.
You may not want a full planning application.
The Paragraph 5 exempted organisation route may fit.
It can support a small, members-only caravan site beyond the usual 28-day limit, subject to planning control and strict operating rules.
This guide explains the route for 2026.
It is general information, not legal advice.
The wall at 28 days
The 28-day allowance is not a free pass.
It does not matter whether you charge.
“Free with dinner” pub stopovers still count.
Free farm pitches still count.
Donation pitches still count.
If land is used for caravans or camping, that use can count as campsite use.
The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 does not ask whether money changes hands.
It looks at the use of the land.
Once your use runs beyond the relevant temporary allowance, treat the land as a caravan or camping site in law.
Do not rely on:
- Free stays.
- Donations.
- Meal purchases.
- Informal invitations.
- Online bookings marked as “members only”.
- A new name for the same campsite use.
Check the legal position before you open.
Read the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 and review Open Sky Adventure’s legal information.
Only two routes exist beyond 28 days
For a small caravan site operating beyond the applicable temporary allowance, work from two routes:
- Full planning permission plus a caravan site licence.
- Paragraph 5 certification through an exempted organisation.
The second route removes the normal site licence requirement.
It does not remove planning control.
That difference matters.
A Paragraph 5 certificate is not a planning permission document.
It is a licensing exemption.
Route one: full planning and a site licence
Choose this route if you want:
- More than five caravans.
- General public bookings.
- A larger campsite.
- A permanent caravan business.
- Touring caravans and tents under one wider operation.
- Facilities that need permanent planning consent.
You will usually need planning permission first.
You will then need a caravan site licence from the local authority.
Check the GOV.UK caravan site licence guidance.
Route two: Paragraph 5 certification
Choose this route if you want:
- Up to five caravans.
- Members-only recreational use.
- A small site.
- A site that may operate beyond 28 days.
- A managed arrangement with an exempted organisation.
This is the route covered below.
What Paragraph 5 actually is
Paragraph 5 sits in Schedule 1 to the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.
It says a site licence is not required where:
- An exempted organisation has issued a certificate for the land.
- The certificate is in force.
- No more than five caravans are stationed for human habitation at any one time.
- The land is approved for use by the organisation’s members for recreation.
Read Paragraph 5 on legislation.gov.uk.
The certificate is issued to the land occupier.
It lasts for no more than one year.
It can then be renewed.
The certificate must stay within its terms.
It is not a general licence for anyone to camp.
It is a site-specific exemption.
The hard limit is five caravans
The ceiling is strict.
You can have up to five caravans at any one time.
Count:
- Touring caravans.
- Motorhomes.
- Campervans.
- Other units that fall within the legal caravan definition.
Do not add a sixth unit.
Do not accept “one more for a mate”.
Do not count five booked arrivals and then allow an extra late arrival.
Track the number on site in real time.
Tents are different
A Paragraph 5 caravan certificate is not a general tent campsite certificate.
Tents and trailer tents normally need separate camping exemption coverage under section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936, or a normal camping licence.
The GOV.UK exemption certificate guidance confirms the difference.
Do not mix tents and caravans under one certificate without checking the correct legal route.
Planning permission still applies
Certification is a licensing exemption.
It is not land-use permission.
You must still check:
- Planning permission.
- Permitted development rights.
- Article 4 Directions.
- Local planning policy.
- Access and highways.
- Drainage.
- Flood risk.
- Environmental restrictions.
- Permanent structures.
- Toilet and waste facilities.
Paragraph 5 does not override planning control.
It does not override an Article 4 Direction.
It does not make an unauthorised change of use lawful.
Ask the local planning authority for written advice.
Keep the response with your site records.
2026 permitted development rights campsite UK rules
Do not confuse Paragraph 5 with the temporary campsite rules.
They deal with different issues.
England: Class BC
In England, Class BC can allow a temporary recreational campsite for up to:
- 60 days in a calendar year.
- 50 pitches.
Prior approval applies.
The site must meet the Class BC conditions.
The route does not replace a site licence where one is needed.
Read the Class BC legislation.
Check the Open Sky Adventure Class BC guide.
Wales: Class BA
In Wales, Class BA covers temporary recreational campsites.
The limit is:
- 60 days per calendar year on general land.
- 28 days in a National Park.
- 28 days in a National Landscape.
- 28 days in a World Heritage Site.
Prior notification applies.
The Welsh rules also include a 100m buffer zone campsite restriction from protected dwellings.
Class BA does not create a 30-pitch cap.
There is no automatic 30-pitch limit in Class BA.
Class BA also does not permit touring caravans, static caravans or mobile homes.
It covers tents and motorhomes, including campervans and converted vans designed for habitation.
Read the Welsh Government temporary campsite guidance.
Read Open Sky Adventure’s Class BA Wales guide.
What a compliant five-pitch site looks like
Keep the layout simple.
Your site should include:
- Clear pitch spacing.
- A marked fire point.
- Safe access to each pitch.
- Drinking water.
- Chemical toilet disposal.
- Waste collection.
- Safe vehicle access.
- Turning space for emergency and service vehicles.
- Clear member-only signage.
- A visible emergency contact.
- A daily occupancy log.
Follow the certificate conditions.
Follow the organisation’s code of conduct.
Use local fire and public health advice.
Do not place vans close to buildings, boundaries, watercourses or hazards without checking the site plan and relevant guidance.
Mark each pitch.
Give each member the site rules before arrival.
Keep fire points visible.
Keep waste away from ignition sources.
Record water servicing.
Record chemical toilet disposal.
Record waste collections.
Keep the site clean after every departure.
Compliance discipline keeps the certificate valid
Treat the certificate as an operating system.
Use it every day.
Enforce five units
Set the booking system to five.
Stop bookings when the limit is reached.
Do not use “overflow” pitches.
Do not accept a sixth van for a short stay.
Keep a member register
Record:
- Member name.
- Membership number.
- Vehicle details.
- Arrival date.
- Departure date.
- Pitch number.
- Emergency contact.
- Payment or booking record.
Members-only means members-only.
Keep site records
Maintain:
- Daily occupancy logs.
- Waste records.
- Water records.
- Chemical toilet disposal records.
- Cleaning checks.
- Incident reports.
- Complaints.
- Site inspections.
- Certificate copies.
Market the site correctly
Do not market it as a general public campsite.
Do not advertise open access to anyone.
Use wording that explains:
- Membership is required.
- Recreational use applies.
- Five caravans is the maximum.
- The certificate terms apply.
- Tents are not automatically included.
Working in National Parks
Paragraph 5 applies across Wales.
That includes National Parks.
Eryri needs careful handling.
The current Eryri Article 4 Direction targets dwelling use, including C3, C5 and C6 changes.
It does not target camping permitted development.
However, Eryri’s planning guidance and SPG state that the authority will not support new touring or camping sites as a policy position.
That is not the same as a legal ban.
It still creates a serious planning risk.
Notify the National Park planning authority when a certificate is issued.
Keep the five-caravan limit tight.
Run strong waste and water controls.
Keep written records.
Check Eryri’s caravan and camping guidance.
Pembrokeshire Coast needs a separate check.
Its camping-specific Article 4 Direction took effect in January 2026.
It removes the automatic 28-day camping right in the affected area.
Check the position before you certify land.
Read the Pembrokeshire Coast 2026 update.
Which route suits you?
| Route | What it allows | What it needs | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28-day or temporary PDR route | Limited temporary campsite use | Correct Class BC or Class BA process, dates, layout and prior approval or notification | Seasonal operators |
| Paragraph 5 certificate | Up to five caravans for members’ recreation, beyond the temporary allowance where planning allows | Exempted organisation certificate, member control, records and annual renewal | Farmers, pubs, hotels and small landowners |
| Full planning plus site licence | Larger, wider or more permanent campsite use | Planning permission, site licence and operating conditions | Public campsites and larger businesses |
Open Sky Adventure holds Welsh Government Exempted Organisation status valid throughout Wales.
We can issue Paragraph 5 certificates.
We can assess whether your site qualifies.
Read about unlocking your land and its potential.
Your decision checklist
Before you proceed, confirm:
- Do you want caravans, tents or both?
- Will the site remain members-only?
- Can you enforce five caravans at all times?
- Is the proposed land suitable for planning purposes?
- Are there Article 4 Directions?
- Is the land in a National Park, National Landscape or World Heritage Site?
- Does the 100m buffer affect a Welsh Class BA option?
- Do you need prior approval or prior notification?
- Can you provide safe access and turning?
- Can you provide water and chemical toilet disposal?
- Can you manage fire points and waste?
- Can you maintain a member register?
- Can you keep a daily site log?
- Can you renew the certificate each year?
If yes, contact Open Sky Adventure before you advertise.
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.