Hello, landowner. Want to open a temporary campsite on your land? Check Class BC first. It gives qualifying sites in England permitted development rights for up to 60 days each calendar year.
Use those rights carefully. Check your land, plan your dates and facilities, and follow the notice or prior-approval process. Class BC can support farm diversification and help pubs or hotels offer seasonal camping. It does not give every site permission to operate in every way.
What does Class BC permit?
Class BC sits in Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.
It allows recreational campsite use for no more than 60 days in total in any calendar year. It also permits up to 50 pitches and moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
The 60 days are an annual total, not an allowance for each event or booking. Keep a record of the dates the land is in use. Count every operating period towards the limit.
Class BC was inserted by S.I. 2023/747, which came into force on 26 July 2023. It is an England planning right. It does not apply in Wales. If your land is in Wales, check the separate Welsh planning rules with the relevant planning authority.
The 28-day rule is no longer the camping route
You may have heard that temporary land uses can operate for 28 days under Class B. Do not assume that this covers a standalone campsite in England. Camping outside festivals was removed from that old route.
Class BC is now the relevant permitted development route for qualifying temporary recreational campsites. It provides up to 60 days, but only when you meet its limits and conditions. The 60-day allowance does not remove the need to check other planning, safety or licensing requirements.
Check the restrictions before you plan
Class BC does not permit campsite use on:
- A site of a scheduled monument.
- Land in a safety hazard area.
- Land in a military explosives storage area.
- A site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
- A site of a listed building.
It also does not permit the siting of caravans, except a caravan that is a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation. In practical terms, plan around tents and check carefully before including campervans or motorhomes. Do not assume a towed caravan, static caravan or other unit qualifies.
If your proposal includes a structure or vehicle, confirm that it fits the wording of the right. If it does not, Class BC may not cover it.
Plan your 60 days and 50 pitches
For a farm diversification project, start with a simple operating plan. Choose the dates that matter most to your business, such as school holidays, local events or a short harvest-season offer. Leave enough time to prepare the site and facilities.
Keep the pitch count at 50 or fewer. Set out how you will count and manage pitches before taking bookings. Track the days the site is in use, and make sure the year’s total stays within 60.
Pubs and hotels can also assess whether a small temporary campsite could work alongside their existing offer. Consider vehicle access, guest facilities, waste collection, emergency access and the effect on normal business. Class BC is not a substitute for managing those practical matters.
Give the local planning authority written notice
Before the campsite development begins in each calendar year, notify your local planning authority (LPA) in writing. Include a site plan that shows:
- The location of the toilet facilities.
- The location of the waste disposal facilities.
- The dates the site will be in use.
Make the plan clear enough for someone who has not visited your land. Mark entrances and access routes where useful. Show the facilities in their actual proposed locations. Keep a copy of your notice, plan and proof of delivery.
You must also provide toilet and waste disposal facilities on site for campsite users. Plan how you will maintain them during operating days, and how you will collect and remove waste. The LPA passes your notice to the relevant fire and rescue authority.
Check whether flood-zone prior approval applies
If the proposed campsite land is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, you need prior approval from the LPA before starting development in each calendar year. This is a separate step from the written notice.
Submit an application with a site-specific flood risk assessment. Include provision for flood warnings and evacuation. Pay any fee that applies.
The LPA must consult the Environment Agency and give it at least 21 days to respond. The LPA must consider that response when deciding your application. It must also have regard to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), insofar as it is relevant to the prior-approval matter.
Do not start the campsite use while the application is being considered. You may start once you receive written prior approval. You may also start if 56 days have passed since the LPA received the application and it has not notified you whether approval is granted or refused. Record the date the LPA receives your application, and build this waiting period into your launch plan.
The LPA may grant approval with conditions. Read any conditions before you begin.
What changed in 2026?
S.I. 2026/313 came into force on 9 April 2026. It updated the wording in Class BC’s prior-approval procedure by removing the reference to a specific 2021 version of the NPPF.
The change means the LPA now has regard to the current NPPF, insofar as relevant to the application. It did not change the 60-day limit, the 50-pitch cap or the 56-day procedure.
When Class BC may not be enough
Class BC is for temporary recreational camping within its limits. If you want to operate for more than 60 days, exceed 50 pitches, or offer static or other caravan accommodation that is not covered by the motor-vehicle exception, do not assume this right applies.
You may need full planning permission. Separate campsite or caravan-site licensing requirements may also apply, depending on your proposal and circumstances. Check with your LPA and the relevant licensing authority before you invest or advertise. Planning permission and a site licence are separate matters, and one does not automatically replace the other.
For the legislation, read the current Class BC text and the 2026 amendment. For a local starting point, visit Open Sky Adventure’s legal information. This guide is a general summary, not legal advice.
Start with a clear checklist
Before you open, take these steps:
- Confirm your land is in England and check the restricted-site list.
- Set dates that keep total use within 60 days for the calendar year.
- Keep the number of pitches at 50 or fewer.
- Provide on-site toilets and waste disposal.
- Send the LPA written notice and a complete site plan before starting.
- If the land is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, apply for prior approval early and allow time for the flood assessment and decision process.
- Check whether your accommodation needs planning permission or a separate licence.
Use this checklist to shape your proposal, then ask your LPA about site-specific requirements. Get the right steps in place before you take bookings.
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