Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the rules first.
From 1 September 2026, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026 creates Class BA camping Wales.
Class BA gives a permitted development route for temporary recreational campsites.
It does not remove the need for checks.
It does not remove site licensing.
It does not allow camping anywhere.
Use this guide to plan your site, map the 100m buffer zone campsite Wales rule, complete the prior approval campsite process and build a workable business plan.
This article gives general information. It is not legal advice. Ask your local planning authority or a planning professional to check your site.
What Class BA allows
Class BA allows you to use land as a temporary recreational campsite.
It also allows moveable structures that are reasonably needed for that use.
This can support:
- Farm diversification camping.
- Seasonal pub campsites.
- Hotel overflow camping.
- Rural hospitality businesses.
- Temporary outdoor accommodation.
- Small camping areas linked to local events or activities.
The annual limit depends on location.
| Site location | Maximum use |
|---|---|
| Most land in Wales | 60 days per calendar year |
| National Park | 28 days per calendar year |
| Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Landscape | 28 days per calendar year |
| World Heritage Site | 28 days per calendar year |
The limit runs from 1 January to 31 December.
The days do not need to be consecutive.
Keep one site calendar.
Record every day used.
Do not assume that a new operator or booking system creates a new allowance.
The old 28-day rule also needs care.
The familiar 28-day permitted development route applies differently across England and Wales. From 1 September 2026, Welsh temporary camping should be assessed under Class BA. Do not apply Welsh Class BA to land in England. Check the relevant English planning rules for an English site.
Read the official Welsh legislation.
The 100m buffer rule
Class BA does not permit camping on land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
There is one narrow exception.
The land may be used as a private way.
A protected dwelling means a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
This can include:
- A neighbour’s house.
- A nearby cottage.
- A village home.
- A flat beside the site.
- A dwelling beside a pub field.
- A residential property near hotel land.
The rule applies to the camping use.
It does not mean that every pub, hotel or farm building creates a buffer.
A pub or hotel may sit inside the 100m area without preventing use of land beyond the buffer. Check whether nearby buildings are protected dwellings, then measure the distance carefully.
How to map the 100m buffer
Start before you choose pitches.
Follow these steps:
- Mark every nearby dwelling and flat.
- Check neighbouring land.
- Include cottages near tracks and field corners.
- Draw a 100m radius from each protected dwelling.
- Mark the restricted areas on your site plan.
- Place pitches and campsite facilities outside those areas.
- Keep a copy of your map and the date of your checks.
Use a scaled plan or reliable mapping tool.
Use a professional survey where the boundary is close.
Check:
- Field corners.
- Shared access tracks.
- Large gardens.
- Homes hidden by trees.
- Buildings divided into flats.
- Dwellings outside your ownership.
- Changes in ground levels.
The private way exception is limited.
It may cover a private access route.
It does not allow you to place pitches, toilets or campsite facilities inside the buffer.
Prior approval cannot remove the 100m restriction.
If your first field fails, move the campsite.
Use land beyond 100m.
Consider a full planning application if the site depends on the restricted area.
Other excluded sites
Class BA does not apply to several sensitive locations.
Check your land before spending money on equipment.
Excluded sites include:
- Scheduled monuments.
- Special Areas of Conservation.
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Ramsar sites.
- Special Protection Areas.
- Sites of listed buildings.
- Safety hazard areas.
- Military explosives storage areas.
- Flood Zones 2 and 3.
- Land within 100m of a protected dwelling, except for a private way.
Use the Flood Map for Wales and check relevant environmental records.
Confirm whether the site falls within a National Park, National Landscape or World Heritage Site.
That affects the annual limit.
Prior approval campsite process
Class BA is not automatic.
You must apply every calendar year before the campsite begins.
The first application asks the local planning authority to determine whether prior approval is required.
The application must cover:
- Toilet and wastewater facilities.
- Waste disposal facilities.
- Vehicular access to the site.
Include a site plan.
The plan must show:
- Campsite boundaries.
- Pitch locations.
- Campsite amenities.
- Toilets.
- Wastewater facilities.
- Waste storage.
- Access from the highway.
- Vehicle routes.
- Operating dates.
- The 100m buffer areas.
Use the Welsh Government campsite determination form and guidance.
Pay the required fee.
Submit the information in the required format.
The authority has 28 days from receiving the application.
It must either:
- Confirm that prior approval is not required.
- Tell you that prior approval is required.
- Notify you that the application is incomplete or does not comply with the submission requirements.
If the authority says prior approval is not required, operate in line with your submitted site plan and details.
If the authority says prior approval is required, submit the further prior approval application.
Do not begin until you receive written approval.
If the authority gives no response within 28 days, you may proceed once the 28-day period ends, but only where:
- The application was properly submitted.
- The authority did not notify you that it was incomplete.
- No prior approval determination was issued.
- All Class BA conditions still apply.
Keep proof of submission and the date received.
Plan toilets, wastewater and waste
Give the authority practical information.
State your maximum number of campers.
Show the location of each facility.
Explain how toilets will be serviced.
Explain where wastewater will go.
State how often tanks will be emptied.
Name the contractor or waste carrier where possible.
For waste, show:
- Bin locations.
- Collection dates.
- Recycling arrangements.
- Food waste controls.
- Secure storage.
- Final disposal.
Do not rely on informal discharge.
Check whether you need environmental permission, drainage consent or another approval.
Plan vehicle access
Traffic can trigger prior approval.
The authority must determine that prior approval is required where it expects a material increase, or a material change in the character of traffic near the site.
Show the full route.
Include:
- The public highway.
- The site entrance.
- Passing places.
- Turning areas.
- Emergency access.
- Delivery access.
- Waste collection access.
- Visibility at the entrance.
Use existing tracks where they are safe.
Check the route after rain.
Consider tractors, fire engines, ambulances and service vehicles.
The highway authority may be consulted.
This can include:
- The trunk road authority.
- The local highway authority.
- A railway operator and the Welsh Ministers where a level crossing is affected.
Allow time for consultation.
The authority may require further information about traffic impacts or risks.
How pubs and hotels can work around the buffer
A pub may have a field behind nearby homes.
A hotel may have cottages beside its grounds.
The solution is often layout, not abandonment.
Use land beyond 100m
Measure from each protected dwelling.
Move pitches beyond the buffer.
Keep access and facilities practical.
Do not place amenities inside the restricted area without checking the legal position.
Use the private way exception correctly
A private way may pass through the buffer.
Use it only for access where appropriate.
Do not treat it as a camping area.
Speak with neighbours
Engage early.
Explain the dates, number of pitches and access plan.
Ask about concerns.
Record discussions.
Neighbour support does not remove the 100m rule.
It may help with site management, a full planning application or access arrangements.
Farm diversification camping advice
Start with the land.
Do not start with tents.
Check the buffer.
Check flood risk.
Check designations.
Check access.
Then choose the number of pitches.
Keep the first season manageable.
Use existing farm tracks.
Separate guests from livestock, machinery and water.
Add clear signs.
Set quiet hours.
Create an emergency plan.
Keep a daily record of:
- Dates in use.
- Number of pitches.
- Guest numbers.
- Waste collections.
- Facility servicing.
- Incidents.
- Complaints.
Build income from more than pitch fees.
Consider:
- Local produce.
- Guided walks.
- Wildlife experiences.
- Outdoor skills.
- Equipment hire.
- Food packages.
- Farm visits.
Check campsite licensing, insurance, fire safety, health and safety, environmental rules and waste requirements.
Planning permission does not replace those controls.
Review the Open Sky Adventure legal information and confirm requirements with the relevant authority.
Your Class BA action plan
Complete these steps:
- Identify the land parcel.
- Check whether the site is in a 60-day or 28-day area.
- Map every protected dwelling.
- Draw the 100m buffer.
- Check all excluded sites.
- Choose pitches outside the buffer.
- Design toilets, wastewater and waste facilities.
- Plan safe vehicle access.
- Choose the operating dates.
- Prepare the site plan.
- Submit the annual determination application.
- Track the 28-day deadline.
- Submit prior approval if required.
- Wait for written approval where required.
- Keep records during operation.
- Check separate campsite licensing and safety duties.
Open Sky Adventure can help you assess land potential and plan a compliant campsite.
See our land and site potential service.
Review our camping costs guidance.
Then contact Open Sky Adventure before you take bookings or buy equipment.
Join the 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.