SEO meta description: Plan a 2027 campsite in England or Wales: compare Class BC and BA, prior approval, the Welsh buffer, exclusions and a month-by-month timeline guide.
Hello, landowner. The camping season is winding down. Use this autumn to check your site, prepare the right paperwork and aim to be ready for spring 2027.
First, a key correction: the rules are not the same in England and Wales. England’s Class BC does not set a 100m buffer from homes or roads. Wales’s Class BA sets a 100m exclusion around certain dwellings, but not roads. Check the law for your site before you spend money.
This is general information, not legal advice. Ask your local planning authority (LPA) or a planning professional about your land.
What Class BC and Class BA allow
In England, Class BC allows temporary recreational campsite use for up to 60 days in total per calendar year, with a maximum of 50 pitches. It allows moveable structures reasonably needed for that use. You must provide toilet and waste-disposal facilities and notify your LPA in writing before each year’s use.
In Wales, Class BA allows a recreational campsite for up to 60 days per calendar year. In a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (now commonly called a National Landscape) or World Heritage Site, the limit is 28 days. The right allows moveable structures reasonably necessary for the campsite. Wales does not set the same 50-pitch cap in Class BA.
These are rights for temporary recreational use of land, not permission for a permanent campsite. They do not replace a site licence, where one is required, or other legal duties. Check what tents, motorhomes or structures your proposal can include. Class BC and BA limit caravan siting to qualifying motor vehicles designed or adapted for human habitation; don’t assume touring caravans or fixed glamping units qualify.
The former 28-day temporary-use right is not interchangeable with the new campsite rights. Check which right applies, and its conditions, rather than treating 28 days as a general campsite allowance.
Prior approval: the England and Wales routes differ
England: Class BC and the 56-day window
Class BC requires prior approval before each calendar year’s use if your proposed site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3. Submit a site-specific flood risk assessment, including warning and evacuation arrangements, and any required fee.
The LPA must consult the Environment Agency. It can consider flood risk in deciding the application and can attach conditions reasonably related to that matter. It cannot use this Class BC process as a general review of unrelated issues.
You must wait for written approval, or for 56 days from receipt without the LPA notifying you whether approval is granted or refused. If the period expires without that notice, deemed approval means you may proceed under this prior-approval route. It does not waive other rules, or permit a different layout from the one you submitted.
Outside Flood Zones 2 and 3, Class BC still requires written notification to the LPA, but the 56-day prior-approval process does not apply just because you are opening a campsite.
Wales: determination first, then approval if required
Before use each calendar year, apply to your LPA to determine whether prior approval is required. Include a site plan showing pitches and amenities, toilet and wastewater arrangements, waste disposal, highway access and operating dates. The authority has 28 days to respond.
If it confirms approval is not required, or gives no decision within 28 days, the regulations allow use in line with the submitted details, subject to other restrictions. If prior approval is required, apply with the further information requested and wait for written approval. Welsh Government guidance says the LPA should decide that further application within eight weeks. The issues can include toilet and wastewater provision, waste disposal and access; the authority must require approval if it considers the proposal likely to materially increase or change the character of nearby traffic.
The 100m buffer: a Wales rule, not a UK-wide rule
For Class BA in Wales, campsite use is not permitted on land within 100m of a protected dwelling: a house or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator. The legislation makes an exception for use of a private way.
Because the restriction applies to land, don’t measure only from the house to the nearest pitch. Map the proposed campsite area, including pitches and amenities, and test it against the buffer. There is no equivalent 100m dwelling buffer in the Class BC rules in England. Neither rule creates a general 100m buffer from roads. However, road access, traffic and highway safety can still affect the application, especially in Wales.
Buffer check: measure before you design
| Check | What to do |
|---|---|
| Identify homes | Mark every dwelling that may be occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator. |
| Check the distance | Use a satellite map for an initial screen, then verify boundaries and measurements on the ground. A map is not a substitute for a reliable scaled plan. |
| Draw the site | Use a scaled plan to show the site boundary, proposed pitches, amenities, dwellings, roads and access. Mark the measured distance and the 100m line for Wales. |
| Read the boundaries carefully | Show the actual dwelling and proposed campsite land. A hedgerow may help identify a field edge, but it does not set the legal measurement. Show roads and access clearly; there is no statutory 100m road buffer. |
| Keep evidence | Save dated map views and plans. Photograph relevant homes, field boundaries, access points and any on-the-ground measurement points. Record the date and viewpoint. |
A buffer check can rule out a layout early, or show that a different field may work. For Wales, if the proposed campsite land falls within the protected-dwelling exclusion, don’t assume prior approval can make it acceptable under Class BA.
Check exclusions and local restrictions
The exclusions differ. Wales Class BA excludes land on scheduled monuments, listed-building sites, SSSIs, Ramsar sites, Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas, in safety-hazard areas and military explosives storage areas, in Flood Zones 2 or 3, and within the protected-dwelling buffer. Protected landscapes have a 28-day limit, rather than being excluded outright.
England Class BC excludes scheduled monuments, safety-hazard areas, military explosives storage areas, SSSIs and listed-building sites. Flood Zones 2 and 3 trigger prior approval; they are not a blanket Class BC exclusion.
Do not treat National Parks, conservation areas or listed-building curtilage as identical exclusions across both countries. Check the precise legal position for your site, including any listed-building controls. In England, check for an Article 4 Direction or restrictive planning condition that removes permitted development rights. Check local restrictions in Wales too. Confirm applicable flood mapping with the relevant authority before committing funds.
Your month-by-month route to spring 2027
| When | Landowner actions |
|---|---|
| October–November 2026 | Walk the land. Identify nearby dwellings, check the Welsh buffer if relevant, and check designations, flood status and Article 4 Directions. |
| November–December 2026 | Draw a scaled layout. Mark pitches, amenities, toilets, waste arrangements and access. Write clear site rules and start a day log. |
| December 2026–January 2027 | Submit the correct application or notification and pay any required fee. Keep the receipt, plans and dates submitted. |
| January–February 2027 | Answer any requests about highways, drainage, toilets, wastewater or noise. In England, allow for the 56-day decision window where Class BC prior approval applies. In Wales, allow time for both stages if required. |
| February–March 2027 | Book toilets, waste collection and water provision. Arrange fire-safety measures, insurance and a booking system. |
| March–April 2027 | Run a test weekend. Inspect and sign the access, check emergency arrangements and mark pitches. |
| April onward | Trade only when the required process is complete. Count every day of campsite use and stay within the applicable annual limit. |
For Welsh planning, read the Government’s temporary campsite guidance. For England flood information, use the GOV.UK flood-risk service.
A short note for pubs and hotels
A pub might propose using a paddock or part of an overspill car park. A hotel might consider a walled garden. The same country-specific rules apply: check the land, use limits, access and facilities, and make the correct submission. A hospitality setting does not create an exemption. Keep vehicle movement, guest noise and waste arrangements in your plan.
Avoid these five mistakes
- Leaving it until March. Allow time for plans, authority checks and any second approval stage.
- Guessing the buffer. Map and verify Welsh dwelling distances before you choose pitches.
- Keeping no day log. Record every day the campsite is in use, and keep submitted dates and plans.
- Treating a 28-day right as Class BC or BA. Check the exact right and its conditions.
- Building permanent facilities. Fixed buildings, tracks, new accesses and hardstanding may require separate planning permission. Temporary campsite rights do not automatically cover them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Class BC apply to all land in England for 60 days?
No. The land must meet the rules, and exclusions, Article 4 Directions and planning conditions may affect it. Class BC also limits the site to 50 pitches.
Does every Welsh site have 60 days?
No. Class BA allows 28 days in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites. Other exclusions and local restrictions may also apply.
Is the 100m buffer from roads part of Class BA?
No. The 100m restriction concerns land near a protected dwelling, with an exception for a private way. Access and traffic are separate planning considerations.
Can I open when the 56 days have passed in England?
Only where Class BC prior approval applies and the authority has not notified you whether approval is granted or refused within 56 days. You must still follow the submitted details and meet other requirements.
Is a temporary campsite the same as a licensed campsite?
No. Planning rights and campsite licensing are separate matters. Check with your local authority whether your operation needs a licence and what other duties apply.
Plan your next step
Check the land, choose the right route and prepare a complete submission. Read our legal guidance and Class BC and Class BA comparison. You can also contact Open Sky Adventure or join our community.
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