Meta description: Learn how the 100m buffer zone works for Class BA camping Wales in 2026, how to measure protected dwellings, submit prior approval, and prove campsite compliance.
Hello, farmer, landowner, pub owner or hotel operator.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the 100m rule first.
From 1 September 2026, Class BA provides the main permitted development route for temporary recreational campsites in Wales.
It is not automatic permission.
You must meet every condition.
You must notify the local planning authority before opening.
What Class BA camping Wales permits
Class BA allows the temporary use of land as a recreational campsite.
It also allows moveable structures reasonably needed for the camping use.
This can include temporary toilets, wastewater facilities and waste storage.
It does not allow permanent buildings, fixed tracks or permanent hardstanding.
It does not create a general right to operate a caravan site.
Check separate rules for caravans, motorhomes and glamping structures.
Class BA also does not remove your other duties.
Check:
- Campsite licensing.
- Wastewater controls.
- Environmental permits.
- Fire safety.
- Highway safety.
- Public liability insurance.
- Health and safety.
- Flood risk.
- Site-specific environmental restrictions.
Read the official Class BA legislation and the Welsh Government campsite guidance.
The 60-day rule versus 28 days
Class BA uses two operating limits.
| Site location | Maximum campsite use |
|---|---|
| General land in Wales | 60 days per calendar year |
| National Park | 28 days per calendar year |
| National Landscape or AONB | 28 days per calendar year |
| World Heritage Site | 28 days per calendar year |
The limit applies from 1 January to 31 December.
It is not 60 separate bookings.
It is not 60 days when campers are present.
Every day that camping facilities remain available can count.
Track your dates.
Include setup and operating periods where the land is used as a campsite.
For 2026, check any days already used under the old Class B right.
The Welsh Government guidance says those days must be deducted from the Class BA limit.
Do not start with a blank 60-day allowance.
The 100m buffer zone campsite Wales rule
The 100m rule is an exclusion rule.
It is not a reduced 28-day option.
Class BA does not permit the campsite use of land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
The only stated exception is land used as a private way for access or egress.
That means you cannot place pitches, toilets, waste facilities or other campsite amenities inside the restricted area.
You may still be able to use an existing private access route within 100 metres, where you have a legal right to use it.
Do not use that route for camping.
What counts as a protected dwelling?
Class BA defines a protected dwelling as:
A dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
This can include a neighbour’s house.
It can include a flat.
It can include another dwelling on or beside your land if someone else occupies it.
The key question is occupation.
Do not label every building as protected.
A barn is not a protected dwelling unless it is a dwellinghouse or flat.
Your own occupied farmhouse may not be protected under this definition.
Check the facts.
Record who occupies each relevant dwelling.
Ask the local planning authority if ownership, tenancy or occupation is unclear.
How to measure the 100m buffer correctly
Use the proposed campsite area.
Do not measure from your whole farm.
Do not measure only from the field gate.
Do not measure from the centre of the field.
Measure the shortest distance between the land proposed for campsite use and each protected dwelling.
Map the edge of the proposed use.
Include:
- Tent pitches.
- Temporary toilets.
- Wastewater facilities.
- Waste storage.
- Shared amenity areas.
- Internal vehicle areas.
- Other moveable structures.
Mark the 100m line from every protected dwelling.
Then check the whole site.
One pitch inside the buffer can make the proposal ineligible.
A campsite can fail even when most of the field sits outside the zone.
Use an accurate base plan.
Add a scale.
Add a north arrow.
Show the dwelling, proposed campsite boundary and 100m measurement.
Use a measured line.
Keep the survey date.
Save the source map.
Where possible, confirm the measurement with a land surveyor or planning professional.
Mapping software can help.
It does not replace a site check.
Boundaries, slopes, courtyards and shared access can create uncertainty.
Do not measure to a distant property boundary when the dwelling itself is closer.
Do not rely on a visual estimate.
Your compliance folder should allow someone else to repeat the measurement.
Step 1: Map the site
Start with one clear base plan.
Show:
- The full field.
- Existing buildings.
- Protected dwellings.
- Roads and tracks.
- Watercourses.
- Field boundaries.
- Flood areas.
- Environmental designations.
- The proposed campsite boundary.
Check whether permitted development rights have been removed by an Article 4 Direction or planning condition.
Class BA does not apply to several restricted locations.
These include:
- Scheduled monuments.
- Special Areas of Conservation.
- Safety hazard areas.
- Military explosives storage areas.
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Ramsar sites.
- Listed building sites.
- Special Protection Areas.
- Flood Zones 2 and 3.
- Land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except a private way.
Use the Welsh Government planning information and local planning records.
Step 2: Measure the buffer
Identify every dwellinghouse and flat near the proposal.
Confirm who occupies each one.
Draw a 100m buffer.
Measure from the nearest part of the proposed campsite use.
Move pitches outside the line.
Move toilets and waste facilities outside the line.
Show the private access route separately.
Do not include it as camping land.
If no workable area remains, stop.
Redesign the site or discuss a full planning application.
Do not open first.
Step 3: Prepare the notification pack
You must notify the local planning authority before beginning the development in each calendar year.
Use the Welsh Government prior approval determination form.
Your pack should include:
- The completed application form.
- A site plan drawn to an identified scale.
- The campsite boundary.
- The 100m buffer.
- Protected dwellings.
- Pitch locations.
- Toilets.
- Wastewater facilities.
- Waste storage.
- Vehicle access from the highway.
- Parking and turning areas.
- Proposed dates of use.
- The number and type of pitches.
- Notes on access rights.
- Supporting designation and flood checks.
Give practical details.
State how often toilets will be serviced.
Explain wastewater storage and removal.
Name the waste contractor where available.
Show how vehicles enter and leave.
Show how emergency vehicles can reach the site.
Keep your dates within the relevant 28-day or 60-day limit.
A clear pack reduces questions.
It also creates evidence of your intended layout.
Step 4: Submit and wait
The local planning authority has 28 days after receiving the determination application.
It must either:
- Confirm that prior approval is not required.
- Confirm that prior approval is required.
- Notify you that the application is invalid or incomplete.
- Allow the 28-day period to pass without the required notice.
If prior approval is not required, follow the submitted plan.
If 28 days pass without the required contrary notice, the legislation provides a route to proceed, subject to the Class BA conditions.
Check your submission date.
Keep proof of delivery.
Do not assume silence helps if your application was incomplete.
If the authority says prior approval is required, submit the requested information.
The matters normally cover:
- Toilet and wastewater facilities.
- Waste disposal facilities.
- Vehicular access.
The authority should decide the prior approval application within eight weeks.
Do not start during this stage.
Wait for written approval.
Then follow the approved details.
The 28-day determination period is not the 28-day campsite operating limit.
Keep them separate.
Step 5: Keep a compliance folder
Create one folder for each calendar year.
Include:
- The submitted form.
- The final site plan.
- The 100m measurement.
- Photographs of the site.
- Occupation notes for protected dwellings.
- Designation checks.
- Flood checks.
- Authority correspondence.
- Prior approval documents.
- Written variations.
- Operating dates.
- Booking records.
- Waste collection records.
- Wastewater servicing records.
- Complaints and incident logs.
- Site inspection notes.
Keep your booking system aligned with your approved dates.
Do not add pitches without checking the planning effect.
Do not change the access route without checking the planning effect.
Do not move wastewater or waste facilities without checking the submitted details.
A material change can require a new notification.
The Welsh Government guidance identifies increasing pitches, changing waste arrangements and changing access as examples that may trigger a fresh application.
Farm diversification camping: make the layout work
Start with the land you can prove is compliant.
Do not design around every available acre.
A smaller site may simplify:
- Buffer measurements.
- Vehicle movements.
- Toilet servicing.
- Waste collection.
- Guest supervision.
- Neighbour relations.
- Site safety.
A farm can add camping beside local produce sales.
A pub can connect pitches with food and visitor information.
A hotel can use camping as part of an outdoor package.
Keep the planning route separate from the business offer.
Class BA does not replace a campsite licence.
Ask your local authority about licensing thresholds.
The Welsh Government guidance states that tented sites operating for more than 42 consecutive days or more than 60 days in any 12 consecutive months may need a licence under the Public Health Act 1936.
Check the exact position for your site.
Build your evidence before you advertise
The best Class BA file is simple.
It shows where the site is.
It shows where the buffer is.
It shows why the land qualifies.
It shows what happens with toilets, wastewater, waste and traffic.
It shows when the campsite operates.
Use the Open Sky Adventure land and farm diversification service for practical support.
Read our legal information before you commit to a layout.
For the wider background, see our Class BA camping Wales guide.
This article is general information.
It is not legal advice.
Check the current legislation and obtain site-specific advice.
Your Class BA decision
Use this test:
- Is the land in Wales?
- Is the use a temporary recreational campsite?
- Is the proposed camping area outside the 100m buffer?
- Are protected dwellings correctly identified?
- Is the land outside restricted designations and flood zones?
- Are the dates within 28 or 60 days?
- Is the annual notification complete?
- Can you prove safe access, waste and wastewater arrangements?
- Have you waited for the correct planning response?
If the answer is yes, keep the evidence.
If the answer is no, redesign or seek full planning advice.
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.