Meta description: Class BA camping Wales 2026 explained for farms, pubs, hotels and landowners, including the 100m buffer zone, prior approval, 60-day rule and 28-day limit.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the rules first.
In Wales, Class BA now controls temporary recreational campsites. It sits within the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026.
The main points are simple:
- Most eligible land can operate for up to 60 days each calendar year.
- Designated areas usually have a 28-day limit.
- A 100m buffer applies around protected dwellings.
- You must follow the annual prior approval process.
- You must check access, toilets, wastewater and waste arrangements.
- You must not start before the correct notice or approval point.
What Class BA allows in Wales
Class BA permits the use of land as a temporary recreational campsite.
It also permits moveable structures reasonably needed for that use.
This can include:
- Tents.
- Motorhomes.
- Campervans.
- Moveable toilets.
- Waste facilities.
- Other temporary campsite amenities.
The right does not cover every caravan type. The Order excludes caravans unless they are motor vehicles designed or adapted for human habitation.
Use Class BA for temporary camping only.
Do not treat it as permission for a permanent campsite. Do not install permanent buildings without checking the correct planning route.
The days do not need to run together. You can choose separate operating periods.
Count every campsite day within the calendar year. Use 1 January to 31 December as your planning period.
Check your 60-day or 28-day limit
Most eligible land in Wales can use Class BA for up to 60 days in a calendar year.
The limit drops to 28 days if the land sits within:
- A National Park.
- An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, also called a National Landscape.
- A World Heritage Site.
Check the designation before you choose dates.
Do not assume that a rural location qualifies for 60 days. A farm, pub or hotel can still sit inside a designated area.
The 28-day limit is also relevant to the transition from the old camping rules. Wales is moving away from the old general 28-day camping route. From 1 September 2026, camping should rely on Class BA or full planning permission.
Read the Welsh Government guidance and prior approval form.
Understand the 100m buffer zone
The 100m buffer is the key Class BA camping Wales rule.
Class BA does not permit campsite use 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.
This means a neighbour’s home can affect your site.
It can remove the Class BA right from the affected land.
You may then need full planning permission for camping in that area.
The rule does not mean you must abandon the whole holding. It means you must check the exact land proposed for camping.
Map the site.
Mark every nearby dwelling.
Identify who occupies each dwelling.
Draw a 100m buffer around each protected dwelling.
Keep all pitches and campsite facilities outside the affected areas.
Do not place a toilet block, waste point, access route or pitch inside the buffer without checking the planning position.
The Order allows an exception for a private way. Do not rely on that exception for campsite use.
Ask your planning adviser or local planning authority to confirm your site plan.
Find compliant land on a farm
Start with a full land review.
Do not choose the field closest to the farmhouse. Choose the field that works under the rules.
Check:
- Distance from neighbouring homes.
- Flood Zone status.
- Public highway access.
- Existing tracks.
- Ground conditions.
- Wastewater options.
- Waste collection routes.
- Sensitive habitats.
- Listed buildings.
- Scheduled monuments.
- SSSI, SAC, SPA and Ramsar designations.
Use a field plan.
Show the full holding.
Mark ownership boundaries.
Mark each proposed pitch.
Then remove the land inside the 100m buffer.
You may have enough land left for a smaller site.
You may need to move the pitches towards the centre of the holding.
You may need to use a separate parcel.
You may need full planning permission instead.
Plan early.
Do not advertise dates before you confirm the route.
Plan around the buffer at a pub or hotel
Pubs and hotels have a useful starting point.
You may already have:
- Customer parking.
- A staffed reception point.
- Food and drink facilities.
- Existing access.
- Waste contracts.
- Water connections.
- Guest services.
- Local visitor knowledge.
But do not assume the adjoining field qualifies.
Check the dwelling rule.
A neighbouring house may be protected.
An on-site building occupied by the campsite owner or operator may not meet that definition. Get the facts clear. Confirm ownership, control and occupation.
Then create a site plan.
Keep pitches away from protected dwellings.
Use existing access where possible.
Show how campers enter and leave.
Keep customer traffic separate from deliveries.
Set clear dates.
Avoid routes that cross sensitive land.
If the best field fails the 100m test, review another parcel. A smaller compliant site is better than an unlawful larger site.
Follow the annual prior approval process
Class BA is not automatic.
You must apply to your local planning authority before beginning development in each calendar year.
The first step is an application for a determination of whether prior approval is required.
Submit it before opening.
The legislation gives the LPA 28 days from receipt to:
- Confirm that the application is valid and complete.
- Tell you that prior approval is not required.
- Tell you that prior approval is required.
Your application must include a site plan and key details.
Show:
- Toilet and wastewater facilities.
- Waste disposal facilities.
- Pitch and amenity locations.
- Access from the highway.
- Dates when the site will operate.
- Any other details requested by the LPA.
- The required fee.
Submit a complete application.
An incomplete submission can delay your dates.
Know when prior approval is required
The LPA must decide that prior approval is required if the campsite is likely to create a material increase in traffic or a material change in the character of traffic near the site.
This makes access planning important.
Review the entrance before you apply.
Check the road width.
Check visibility.
Check passing places.
Check turning space.
Check pedestrian safety.
Check emergency access.
If the LPA says prior approval is required, make the second application.
The second application covers the relevant matters. These include:
- Toilets.
- Wastewater.
- Waste disposal.
- Vehicular access and highway impacts.
The LPA may request further information. Provide it quickly.
The authority may consult the highway authority or other bodies. A consultation period can affect the timetable.
Do not open until you receive written prior approval.
Track the important deadlines
Use this timetable:
Before the calendar year starts
Check the land.
Map protected dwellings.
Check designations and flood zones.
Choose your dates.
Prepare the site plan.
Plan toilets, wastewater, waste and access.
Before opening
Submit the Class BA determination application.
Pay the fee.
Keep proof of submission.
Wait for the LPA notice.
After the LPA response
If the LPA says prior approval is not required, follow the submitted plan.
If the LPA says prior approval is required, submit the prior approval application.
Wait for written approval.
If 28 days pass without the required notice or determination, check the statutory wording and your evidence before starting. Keep copies of the application, plans and delivery confirmation.
Do not treat silence as a shortcut when your application may be incomplete.
During the season
Count every operating day.
Stay within 60 days or 28 days.
Keep pitches and facilities in the approved locations.
Keep waste and wastewater arrangements working.
Record complaints, incidents and changes.
After the season
Remove temporary structures where required.
Return the land to its former use.
Keep your records.
Start the next annual review early.
Check the other exclusions
The 100m buffer is only one test.
Class BA does not apply in several other locations. These include land:
- On a scheduled monument.
- In a Special Area of Conservation.
- In a safety hazard area.
- In a military explosives storage area.
- On a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- On a Ramsar site.
- On a listed building site.
- In a Special Protection Area.
- In Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
- Within 100m of a protected dwelling, except for a private way.
Check each constraint.
Do not rely on a simple map pin.
Get current planning and environmental information.
Check whether an Article 4 direction or other local restriction affects your land.
Planning rights and campsite licensing are separate. Check both.
Class BA Wales compared with Class BC England
England uses Class BC.
The main difference is the process.
Class BC in England generally allows:
- Up to 60 days per calendar year.
- Up to 50 pitches.
- Annual written notification to the LPA.
- Moveable campsite structures.
- Prior approval in certain flood-risk situations.
Wales uses Class BA.
Class BA includes:
- Up to 60 days on most eligible land.
- Up to 28 days in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites.
- An annual determination process.
- Prior approval where the LPA requires it.
- The Welsh 100m protected dwelling buffer.
England’s Class BC does not include the same national 100m buffer rule.
Do not copy an English campsite plan into Wales.
Use the Welsh rules for Welsh land.
Use expert support before you open
Class BA creates an opportunity.
It also creates deadlines and site limits.
You need a clear plan.
You need the correct land.
You need accurate measurements.
You need a complete application.
You need safe operating arrangements.
Open Sky Adventure is the industry-leading authority in licensed camping and outdoor land use. We help farmers, pubs, hotels and rural landowners review their options, prepare compliant sites and connect land with outdoor adventure.
Start with Unlock Your Land and Potential.
Review The Legals.
Visit the Open Sky Adventure website to begin.
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This article is general information. It is not a planning decision or legal advice. Check your local planning authority and the current legislation before taking bookings or starting campsite use.