Meta description: Build a prior approval campsite application pack for 2026, cover Class BC camping in England, Class BA camping in Wales, the 28-day rule and the 100m buffer zone.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel owner or rural landowner.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Start with the correct planning route.
This guide shows what to submit, when to submit it and what to avoid.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Ask your local planning authority, licensing team and insurer to confirm each position before you open.
Prior approval campsite rules for 2026
England and Wales use different permitted development rights for temporary campsites.
The main routes are:
- Class BC camping in England
- Class BA camping in Wales
- The older 28-day rule, where it still applies
The temporary campsite 60 days rule does not remove your duties.
You still need to:
- Check the land.
- Check flood risk.
- Count every day of use.
- Provide toilets and waste facilities.
- Show safe access.
- Submit the correct notice or application.
- Operate only within the approved details.
England and Wales at a glance
England, Class BC
- Up to 60 days in a calendar year.
- Up to 50 pitches.
- Annual written notification to the local planning authority.
- Prior approval only where the proposed campsite is in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
- A site-specific flood risk assessment is required for that prior approval route.
Wales, Class BA
- Annual determination application.
- Up to 60 days on most eligible land.
- Up to 28 days in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites.
- A 28-day response window for the first determination.
- A further prior approval application may follow.
- A 100m exclusion applies around protected dwellings.
Check the current Class BC legislation and Welsh Government Class BA guidance.
Class BC camping England: notification or prior approval?
Class BC has two separate steps.
Do not confuse them.
Annual written notification
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before using the land as a temporary recreational campsite.
The notification should include:
- The site address.
- A site plan.
- The campsite boundary.
- The toilet and waste facilities.
- The operating dates.
- The number of pitches.
This annual notification applies even when prior approval is not required.
Prior approval in Flood Zones 2 and 3
Prior approval is needed when the proposed campsite land is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Submit the application before the campsite opens.
Include:
- The completed prior approval form.
- A site-specific flood risk assessment.
- Flood warning arrangements.
- Evacuation arrangements.
- A scaled site plan.
- Operating dates.
- Toilet and waste details.
- Access and emergency access details.
- The required fee.
At the time of writing, the England fee is listed as £249 for this prior approval application. Check the current planning application fee guidance before submitting.
The local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency.
The consultation window must allow at least 21 days for a response.
The decision period is 56 days from receipt of the application.
Do not open until:
- Written prior approval is granted, or
- The 56-day period passes without the authority notifying you whether approval is granted or refused.
Keep proof of submission.
Record the date the authority received the pack.
Apply again for each calendar year in which the Class BC right is used in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
Make the flood risk assessment site-specific
Do not use a generic flood statement.
Show:
- The flood zones.
- Rivers, streams and drainage features.
- The campsite boundary.
- Pitch locations.
- Toilet and waste locations.
- Safe access.
- Evacuation routes.
- An assembly point.
- Flood warning methods.
- Staff responsibilities.
- The action taken when a warning is received.
Use the Environment Agency flood risk guidance and check the Flood Map for Planning.
Class BA camping Wales: the annual determination
Wales uses a different first step.
Submit an annual application for a determination of whether prior approval is required.
Submit it before the campsite use begins.
Your application should contain:
- The site address or accurate site description.
- A location plan.
- A scaled site plan.
- Numbered pitches.
- Toilets and handwashing facilities.
- Wastewater arrangements.
- Waste storage and disposal.
- Highway access.
- Emergency access.
- Parking and turning.
- Operating dates.
- The number of days proposed.
- Any transport information needed to explain the access.
The authority has 28 days to respond.
It may:
- Confirm that prior approval is not required.
- Ask for more information.
- Tell you that prior approval is required.
- Confirm that the submission does not meet the requirements.
If prior approval is not required, operate only within the submitted details.
If the authority does not respond within the 28-day window, keep proof of delivery and confirm the position with the authority before opening.
When further prior approval is triggered
A further prior approval application may be required where the use is likely to create:
- A material increase in traffic.
- A material change in the character of traffic.
- Unsafe highway access.
- A problem on a trunk road.
- A conflict with rail infrastructure or rail safety.
The local planning authority may consult:
- The highway authority.
- The trunk road authority.
- Relevant rail bodies.
- Other bodies where the site creates a specific risk.
Where further prior approval is required, allow up to eight weeks for the decision after the authority has the information it needs.
Do not treat the first 28-day determination as permission to open during this second stage.
Operate only in line with the approved details.
Do not add pitches, move the entrance or change the waste system without checking first.
The 100m buffer zone campsite Wales restriction
The 100m buffer zone campsite Wales rule is a hard restriction.
Class BA cannot be used for campsite land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, apart from a private way used for access or egress.
A protected dwelling means a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
Measure the distance carefully.
Do not measure only from the nearest pitch.
Measure from the dwelling to the nearest part of the proposed campsite land.
Show the result on a scaled plan.
Mark:
- The protected dwelling.
- The proposed campsite boundary.
- A 100m radius or measurement line.
- The nearest point of campsite land.
- Any private access way.
- The numbered pitches.
- Toilets and other facilities.
Treat the buffer as a hard exclusion.
Prior approval cannot cure it.
If your only viable pitch field sits inside the buffer, choose one of three routes:
- Move the campsite to another field.
- Reduce or rotate the layout so all campsite land sits outside the buffer.
- Apply for full planning permission.
Do not leave the dwelling off the plan.
Do not draw the boundary to hide the restriction.
Downloadable-style campsite application pack checklist
Use one consistent set of documents.
Cover letter
State:
- The applicant and landowner.
- The site address.
- The planning route.
- The proposed dates.
- The number of pitches.
- The documents enclosed.
- The authority contact details.
- The submission contact.
Plans
Include:
- A site location plan at a clear scale.
- A north arrow.
- A red-line site boundary.
- Numbered pitch positions.
- Access from the public highway.
- Emergency access.
- Parking and turning.
- Toilet and handwashing locations.
- Wastewater storage and removal.
- Waste storage and collection.
- Nearby dwellings.
- Watercourses and relevant constraints.
- A 100m buffer plan for Wales.
Operating information
Add:
- Opening and closing dates.
- A day-count calendar.
- The days when facilities are installed.
- Booking controls.
- Maximum pitch numbers.
- Staff contact details.
- Quiet hours and site rules.
Count every day when the campsite remains available for use.
Do not count only nights with guests.
Safety and compliance
Include:
- A fire risk assessment.
- Emergency arrangements.
- Flood warning and evacuation details where relevant.
- Public liability insurance information.
- A licensing note.
- Waste contractor details.
- The planning fee or fee confirmation.
- Submission contacts.
- Proof of delivery.
Three mistakes that sink applications
1. Sketch plans instead of scaled plans
A rough drawing creates questions.
Use a scale.
Number every pitch.
Show the entrance, emergency route, parking, turning and facilities.
2. Day counters that ignore available facilities
A day can count when the facilities remain available, even if no guest arrives.
List every operating day.
Use one calendar for the whole year.
3. Facilities promised but not deliverable
Do not promise toilets, handwashing, wastewater storage or waste collection without a working plan.
Show where each facility sits.
Explain how it will be serviced.
Check that contractors can reach it.
Farm diversification camping and profit
Keep the first site small.
Start with the land you can manage.
Avoid placing camping in the middle of working farm traffic, deliveries or pub operations.
Separate guests from machinery, livestock, kitchens and hotel service areas.
Sell guided experiences alongside pitches.
Options include:
- Guided walks.
- Wildlife sessions.
- Navigation activities.
- Bushcraft.
- Family outdoor days.
- Local history walks.
Time the season around local demand.
Use school holidays, bank holidays, local events and weekend demand.
Review the numbers before adding pitches.
Camping legislation UK 2026 rewards clear control, not scale.
Get your application pack checked
Use the official Planning Portal Class BC form for England.
Read The Legals before you submit.
Then get in touch with Open Sky Adventure about licensed camping, outdoor experiences and your site plan.
Join our community and sign up on the website.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
This article is practical guidance, not legal advice. Ask your local planning authority, licensing team and insurer to confirm the current rules for your site.