Hello, landowner. Wales has new camping rules for 2026.
Class BA now gives eligible landowners a route to run a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days each calendar year.
You still need to meet strict conditions.
Check your land, map the buffer zone, prepare your facilities, apply to your local planning authority, then open.
This guide explains the process.
What Class BA allows in Wales
Class BA is a permitted development right under Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the Welsh GPDO.
It allows you to use land as a recreational campsite:
- For up to 60 days per calendar year in most areas
- For up to 28 days in a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or World Heritage Site
- With moveable structures needed for the campsite
- Without submitting a full planning application, if every condition is met
The right started on 1 June 2026.
The old 28-day camping arrangement continues during a short transition period, then ends for camping on 1 September 2026. After that, Class BA becomes the main permitted development route for temporary campsites in Wales.
Read the full wording in the 2026 Welsh Amendment Order.
Class BA covers tents, motorhomes and campervans.
It does not cover touring caravans. The Order only allows a caravan that is a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
Do not assume that every camping unit qualifies. Check the unit type before you advertise pitches.
The temporary campsite 60 days rule
The 60 days apply in total for each calendar year.
They do not reset for each guest.
They do not reset when you change the operator.
They do not apply separately to each pitch.
Keep one clear record for the whole campsite.
You can use the days in blocks or separate periods. For example, you could operate during:
- Bank holidays
- School holidays
- Summer weekends
- Local events
- Walking and outdoor activity seasons
Count every day when the land is in campsite use.
Do not exceed 60 days outside the protected landscape categories. Do not exceed 28 days in a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or World Heritage Site.
Use a booking calendar. Record opening and closing dates. Keep copies of guest bookings and your annual site plan.
This helps show compliance if your council asks questions.
Check the 100m buffer zone
The 100m buffer zone campsite Wales rule is central to Class BA.
You cannot use Class BA on land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
The Order defines a protected dwelling as a dwellinghouse or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
In simple terms, a neighbour’s home may create a no-camping zone.
Measure from the protected dwelling to the land used for the campsite. Do not place pitches, facilities or other campsite structures inside the restricted area.
Use this process:
- Mark every neighbouring dwelling on a site map.
- Measure 100 metres from each dwelling.
- Draw the restricted areas.
- Remove those areas from your campsite layout.
- Place pitches and facilities outside the buffer.
- Keep the measurements with your planning records.
Do not rely on a rough visual estimate.
Use a scaled plan. Use a site survey where the boundary is unclear. Ask your local planning authority if the building status is uncertain.
If the only usable part of your field sits within the buffer, Class BA may not work. You may need to move the campsite or seek full planning permission.
Check land that Class BA excludes
Class BA does not apply to every parcel of land.
The right does not permit camping on or in:
- A scheduled monument
- A Site of Special Scientific Interest
- A Special Area of Conservation
- A Special Protection Area
- A Ramsar site
- A listed building site
- Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3
- A safety hazard area
- A military explosives storage area
- Land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling
Check your site before you spend money on equipment or marketing.
Use the Flood Map for Wales and your council’s planning maps. Check environmental designations. Check heritage constraints. Review access and drainage.
A restricted site may need a full planning application. Class BA cannot remove other legal controls.
Apply for the annual determination
You must contact your local planning authority before beginning the campsite use in each calendar year.
This is not optional.
Submit an application for a determination of whether prior approval is required. The Welsh Government provides a temporary recreational campsite prior approval form.
Your application must include a site plan and details of:
- Toilet facilities
- Wastewater arrangements
- Waste disposal facilities
- Pitch and amenity locations
- Access from the highway
- Dates when the site will operate
- Any required application fee
Submit the application at least 28 days before opening.
The local planning authority then has 28 days to respond.
There are three possible outcomes:
The council says prior approval is not required
You can start after receiving the written notice.
Operate in line with the submitted site plan and details.
The council says prior approval is required
Submit the full prior approval application.
Wait for written approval before camping begins.
The council may ask for more information. It may consult the highway authority or other bodies. It may add conditions linked to the matters under review.
The council does not respond
If 28 days pass without the council notifying you that the application is invalid or issuing a determination, the development may proceed under the Order.
Keep proof of submission. Keep the date received. Keep copies of all documents.
Do not open while an application is incomplete or while the 28-day period is still running.
Plan toilets, wastewater and waste
A compliant campsite needs more than pitches.
Show the council how you will manage visitor needs and site impacts.
Your plan should explain:
- The number and type of toilets
- Handwashing arrangements
- Toilet servicing
- Greywater collection
- Wastewater storage
- Waste contractor details
- General waste collection
- Recycling arrangements
- Emergency access
- Vehicle entry and exit
- Cleaning checks
Use facilities that match your pitch numbers and operating dates.
Do not discharge wastewater onto the land.
Do not leave waste for guests to manage without a collection plan.
If you use a septic tank, cesspit or other treatment system, check the separate environmental requirements. Speak to Natural Resources Wales where needed.
Understand access and traffic
Your access plan matters.
The council must consider whether the campsite may create a material increase, or a material change in the character of traffic near the site.
This can trigger full prior approval.
Show:
- The access point
- The road name
- Visibility at the entrance
- Parking areas
- Turning space
- Emergency access
- Pedestrian routes
- Arrival and departure arrangements
Avoid blocking farm operations.
Separate guest traffic from livestock movements. Keep gates clear. Use signs where needed. Give visitors simple arrival instructions.
A small campsite may have limited impact. A large event site may create more scrutiny.
Plan your pitch numbers around your access, facilities and land capacity.
Keep planning and licensing separate
Class BA deals with planning permission.
It does not automatically provide a campsite licence.
Under the separate licensing rules, you normally need a camping licence if the site is used:
- For more than 42 consecutive days, or
- For more than 60 days in any 12-month period
The 60-day Class BA limit is measured by calendar year.
The licensing threshold uses any 12-month period.
These are different tests.
A site could remain within the Class BA calendar-year limit but still create a licensing issue because of how the dates run across two years.
Check the GOV.UK camping licence guidance. Contact your local council before opening.
You may also need a caravan site licence for some units. This is especially important if you plan to accept touring caravans.
Check insurance, fire safety, water supply, food rules and waste regulations too.
Use Class BA for farm diversification camping
Temporary camping can support a wider rural business plan.
You could use your land for:
- Seasonal camping
- Guided walking stays
- Wildlife weekends
- Outdoor skills sessions
- Family activity breaks
- Corporate team days
- Pub and hotel camping packages
- Local event accommodation
Start with a clear offer.
Choose your operating dates. Set your pitch numbers. Price the experience. Build a cleaning and maintenance rota. Give guests clear site rules.
Track income and costs from the first booking.
Include:
- Toilets and servicing
- Waste collection
- Insurance
- Access work
- Staff time
- Booking fees
- Marketing
- Repairs
- Refunds
- Professional advice
Use the season to test demand.
If the model works, you can consider a longer-term planning application. Your records can then support that decision.
Your Class BA checklist
Before you advertise, complete these steps:
- Confirm whether your land gets 60 or 28 days.
- Check every Class BA exclusion.
- Map the 100m buffer zone.
- Choose the permitted camping units.
- Draw your site plan.
- Plan toilets and wastewater.
- Plan waste collection.
- Confirm highway access.
- Submit the annual determination application.
- Wait for the council’s response or the 28-day period to end.
- Apply for full prior approval if required.
- Check site licensing thresholds.
- Arrange insurance and operating procedures.
- Keep a day log throughout the season.
Do not treat the 60-day rule as a free pass.
Treat it as a controlled route for temporary camping.
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