Meta description: Learn where Class BC camping in England and Class BA camping in Wales do not apply in 2026, including protected landscapes, SSSIs, listed buildings, flood zones and 100m buffers.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your field may support a temporary campsite.
Check the designation first.
This guide explains the main camping legislation UK 2026 rules, including the permitted development rights campsite UK landowners need to understand.
The position differs between England and Wales.
The short answer
In England, Class BC can allow a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days each calendar year, with up to 50 pitches.
In Wales, Class BA can allow up to 60 days on most land.
That reduces to 28 days in Welsh National Parks, National Landscapes, AONBs and World Heritage Sites.
Neither right applies everywhere.
Some land is excluded.
Some land needs a local check.
Some sites need full planning permission.
Use the official England Class BC legislation and official Wales Class BA legislation before taking bookings.
Class BC camping in England
Class BC is the main route for a temporary campsite 60 days rule in England.
It can allow:
- Up to 60 days in one calendar year
- Up to 50 pitches
- Tents, motorhomes and campervans
- Moveable structures needed for the campsite
- Selected weekends or separate operating periods
You must notify the local planning authority before starting each year.
Include your:
- Site plan
- Pitch layout
- Operating dates
- Toilet details
- Waste arrangements
- Access route
- Emergency access
Class BC does not cover every type of caravan.
It does not authorise permanent buildings.
It does not replace a campsite licence or environmental consent.
Read our Class BC camping guide for England.
Where Class BC does not apply
Class BC is not available on:
- A scheduled monument
- An SSSI
- The site of a listed building
- Land within the curtilage of a listed building
- A safety hazard area
- A military explosives storage area
You need another planning route.
In most cases, that means a full planning application.
You may also need heritage consent, environmental advice or other approvals.
National Parks and AONBs in England
National Parks and AONBs do not automatically remove Class BC across England.
The national right can still apply.
Do not stop there.
A National Park Authority or local planning authority may have an Article 4 Direction.
This can remove Class BC in a defined area.
It can also require planning permission.
Check the local planning policy, Article 4 map and current campsite guidance.
The 28-day limit may apply locally.
The full 60-day right may be removed.
The right may be withdrawn completely.
Conservation areas in England
A conservation area does not automatically cancel Class BC.
It still matters.
The authority may protect:
- Historic views
- Traditional field patterns
- Rural lanes
- Important trees
- Listed buildings
- The character of the settlement
An Article 4 Direction may remove Class BC.
Check before you rely on permitted development rights.
Do not assume that a simple notification makes the campsite lawful.
Listed buildings and curtilage
Class BC does not apply on the site of a listed building or within its curtilage.
Curtilage can include land that forms part of the listed property.
It is not always the same as the ownership boundary.
A listed farmhouse may have a yard, garden, access area or adjoining land within its curtilage.
Ask the local planning authority or a heritage professional if the boundary is unclear.
Do not place pitches beside a listed building and assume the right applies.
Class BA camping in Wales
Class BA is the Welsh route for temporary recreational campsites in 2026.
It allows:
- Up to 60 days on most land
- Up to 28 days in National Parks
- Up to 28 days in National Landscapes or AONBs
- Up to 28 days in World Heritage Sites
- Moveable structures needed for the campsite
You must apply each year for a determination on whether prior approval is required.
The application should show:
- Pitches
- Toilets
- Wastewater arrangements
- Waste storage
- Access
- Operating dates
- Nearby dwellings
- The 100m buffer
If the council requires prior approval, obtain written approval before opening.
Use the Welsh Government determination guidance.
Where Class BA does not apply
Class BA does not apply on:
- A scheduled monument
- An SSSI
- A Special Area of Conservation
- A Special Protection Area
- A Ramsar site
- A safety hazard area
- A military explosives storage area
- The site of a listed building
- Flood Zone 2
- Flood Zone 3
- Land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling
A protected dwelling generally means a dwelling occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
The 100m rule is not a planning suggestion.
It is a Class BA restriction.
Measure it before you draw your pitch layout.
A private way is treated differently under the Order.
Ask the local planning authority how it wants the distance measured where boundaries are unclear.
Conservation areas in Wales
A conservation area is not listed as an automatic Class BA exclusion.
Class BA may apply in principle.
Heritage policy still matters.
The authority may consider the effect on:
- Historic character
- Views
- Access
- Noise
- Lighting
- Listed buildings
- The setting of heritage assets
Check for other consents.
Do not demolish, alter or attach anything to a historic building without advice.
Listed buildings and curtilage in Wales
Class BA excludes the site of a listed building.
The exact meaning of “site” can depend on the property and its setting.
If your proposed camping land forms part of a listed building’s curtilage, treat it as restricted until the position is confirmed.
Move the site.
Seek pre-application advice.
Or apply for full planning permission.
Restriction versus what you can still do
| Restriction | What you can still do |
|---|---|
| England, scheduled monument | Move to unrestricted land, or seek full planning permission and heritage advice |
| England, SSSI | Check Natural England requirements, move the site, or apply for planning permission |
| England, listed building curtilage | Use land outside the curtilage, or seek planning and heritage advice |
| England, National Park or AONB | Check Article 4, use Class BC only if available, or apply for permission |
| England, conservation area | Check Article 4 and local policy, then notify under Class BC if the right remains |
| Wales, National Park or National Landscape | Use Class BA for up to 28 days, or seek permission for a longer period |
| Wales, SSSI, SAC, SPA or Ramsar site | Do not rely on Class BA, move the site or apply for permission |
| Wales, listed building site or curtilage concern | Confirm the boundary, move the site or seek heritage and planning advice |
| Wales, Flood Zone 2 or 3 | Do not use Class BA, seek full planning advice |
| Wales, protected dwelling within 100m | Redesign outside the buffer, choose another field or seek another planning route |
| Article 4 Direction | Follow the direction, which may require full planning permission |
| Permanent buildings or fixed infrastructure | Check separate planning, building control and environmental requirements |
Check your land in 5 steps
1. Check designation maps
Search for:
- National Park boundaries
- AONBs and National Landscapes
- SSSIs
- Scheduled monuments
- SACs, SPAs and Ramsar sites
- Flood zones
- World Heritage Sites
Use the relevant national and local mapping tools.
Save a copy of the result.
2. Check the conservation area
Use your council’s conservation area map.
Check whether the field, access track or buildings sit inside the boundary.
Then check for an Article 4 Direction.
3. Search listed buildings
Use the Historic England listed building search for England.
Use Cadw listed building information for Wales.
Check the building site and curtilage.
Ask for written advice if the boundary is uncertain.
4. Check flood risk
For England, use the Environment Agency flood map.
For Wales, use the Natural Resources Wales flood risk maps.
A Welsh site in Flood Zone 2 or 3 cannot rely on Class BA.
5. Check neighbours within 100m
This is essential in Wales.
Mark every dwelling near the proposed site.
Measure from the campsite land.
Show the buffer on your plan.
Then confirm the position with the local planning authority.
Three real-world scenarios
1. A Peak District farm
A farmer wants 30 pitches for summer weekends.
The field is inside the Peak District National Park.
The farmer checks Class BC.
The right may apply nationally.
The farmer then finds an Article 4 Direction covering temporary campsites.
Class BC is withdrawn.
The farmer has two choices.
Move to an unrestricted field outside the direction.
Or apply for full planning permission.
The old 28-day rule is not an automatic workaround.
2. A Pembrokeshire pub
A pub owner wants a small campsite behind the pub.
The land is in a National Landscape.
Class BA may apply for 28 days.
The owner maps nearby homes.
One protected dwelling sits within 100 metres.
That part of the land cannot use Class BA.
The owner moves the pitches to a separate field outside the buffer.
They submit the annual determination application.
They provide toilets, wastewater details, waste storage and access information.
Then they wait for the correct council notice before opening.
3. A Cotswolds hotel
A hotel wants overflow camping in a meadow.
The meadow sits near a listed farmhouse.
It is also inside a conservation area.
The hotel checks the listed building record.
The meadow forms part of the farmhouse curtilage.
Class BC cannot be used on that land.
The hotel moves the proposal to another field.
It checks flood risk, neighbours and Article 4 controls.
It seeks pre-application advice before spending on facilities.
That is the safer route for farm diversification camping.
What to do when the right is withdrawn
Choose one route.
Apply for full planning permission
Use this route where:
- The land is excluded
- Class BC or BA has been removed
- You want longer operation
- You want permanent facilities
- You need fixed toilets, roads or buildings
- The site sits in a sensitive location
Prepare a clear layout.
Explain access, drainage, waste, noise, lighting and emergency arrangements.
Include heritage or ecology reports where needed.
Move the site
A nearby field may have a different planning position.
Check the whole parcel.
Do not move pitches a few metres and assume the restriction disappears.
Use the 28-day or exempted organisation route where it fits
The traditional 28-day route is not a general England campsite workaround in 2026.
Class BC replaced the old general camping route for most temporary recreational campsites in England.
In Wales, 28 days remains relevant in protected landscapes under Class BA.
A separate exemption certificate route may suit a genuine recreational organisation.
The organisation must meet the relevant requirements.
The certificate is not a general commercial licence.
Check the official camping and caravanning exemption guidance.
Ask for pre-application advice
Use pre-application advice where:
- Curtilage is unclear
- A designation affects only part of the field
- An Article 4 Direction may apply
- Neighbours sit near the boundary
- Drainage is complex
- You want fixed facilities
Get the answer before advertising.
Plan your site with Open Sky Adventure
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Review our legal information.
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This article is general information. It is not legal advice. Check the current legislation, your local planning authority, licensing team and relevant environmental regulator before opening a campsite.