Welcome, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Start with the rules.
Class BA camping Wales began on 1 June 2026 under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026.
It changes the route for temporary camping.
It also creates a strict 100m buffer around protected dwellings.
Check your land before you pitch.
What Class BA permits
Class BA sits in Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the Welsh GPDO.
It permits you to:
- Use land as a recreational campsite for up to 60 days in a calendar year.
- Provide moveable structures needed for that use.
- Operate the site within the dates and details submitted to the local planning authority.
A different limit applies in protected areas.
If the land sits within a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, now also called a National Landscape, or a World Heritage Site, the limit is 28 days in a calendar year.
This is the key change to the old 28-day rule.
Do not assume that every Welsh field has a 28-day campsite allowance.
Do not assume that every field has a 60-day allowance either.
Check the designation first.
Choose your operating dates carefully.
For many farms, Easter to September offers the best use of the 60-day window.
Count every day.
Keep a written record.
The 100m buffer zone campsite Wales rule
The 100m buffer is a hard exclusion.
Class BA does not permit campsite use on land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
The exception is land used for 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 home.
- A farmhouse occupied by another person.
- A nearby flat.
- A let cottage.
- A holiday dwelling occupied by guests.
- Another dwelling on the holding.
Measure the distance from every protected dwelling.
Measure it to the campsite land, not only to the nearest tent.
Map the full 100m radius before you design the site.
Show the dwelling, the proposed campsite boundary, pitches, facilities, roads and private ways.
Do not try to solve the issue by moving only one pitch.
If any part of the proposed campsite sits within the restricted area, Class BA may not apply to that area.
Prior approval cannot remove the 100m exclusion.
This rule pushes many sites towards a full planning application.
Move the campsite to another field where possible.
Reduce the site area where possible.
Apply for full planning permission where the land you need sits inside the buffer.
Other Class BA exclusions
Class BA does not apply to 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 site of a listed building.
- In a special protection area.
- Within Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
- Within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except for a private way.
Class BA also restricts caravans.
The permitted category is a caravan used as a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
This can cover motorhomes and campervans.
It does not cover touring caravans, static caravans or mobile homes.
Plan for tents and permitted motor vehicles.
Do not add caravan units without checking the legal position.
Prior approval campsite rules in Wales
You must apply to the local planning authority before beginning development in each calendar year.
The application asks the authority to determine whether prior approval is required.
It covers three matters:
- Toilet and wastewater facilities.
- Waste disposal facilities.
- The proposed means of vehicular access.
Submit the application before you install or operate the campsite.
Include:
- A site plan.
- Toilet and wastewater details.
- Waste disposal details.
- The location of pitches.
- The location of amenities.
- Access details from the highway.
- The dates the site will be in use.
- Any required fee.
The authority must respond within 28 days.
It must issue either:
- Written notice stating whether prior approval is required, or
- Notice stating that the application does not comply.
If the authority believes the campsite may cause a material increase or material change in the character of nearby traffic, it must require prior approval.
When you can begin
You may begin when one of these events occurs:
- The authority confirms that prior approval is not required.
- 28 days pass without a determination or a non-compliance notice.
- You submit the further prior approval application and receive written approval.
If prior approval is required, do not start during the first 28-day stage.
Submit the further application.
Wait for written approval.
Operate in line with the approved details.
If prior approval is not required, follow the site plan and particulars submitted with the determination application.
Do not move pitches, change access or add facilities without checking first.
Highway access can trigger extra scrutiny
Access matters most where traffic joins a classified road.
Design the entrance before you submit.
Show:
- The highway connection.
- Visibility.
- The entrance width.
- Internal routes.
- Parking.
- Turning space.
- Waiting space.
- Emergency access.
- Pedestrian movement.
Avoid vehicles waiting on the public road.
Use a safe entrance.
If a traffic impact is likely, the authority must consult the relevant body.
This can include:
- The highway authority for a trunk road.
- The local highway authority for a classified road.
- The rail network operator.
- Welsh Ministers where a level crossing is involved.
Consultees must have at least 21 days to respond.
Build this time into your programme.
Do not book guests before the process is complete.
The transitional period
The Order came into force in stages.
The main Class BA changes began on 1 June 2026.
Prior notification was not required elsewhere in Wales until 1 September 2026.
That transitional date has now passed.
Use the current Class BA process for new seasonal operations.
Also check local restrictions.
Article 4 Directions can remove permitted development rights.
Examples include parts of:
- Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, from 1 January 2026.
- Gower.
Check your local planning authority’s Article 4 map and guidance.
Do not rely on Class BA until you have checked the site.
Class BC camping England: a short comparison
England uses Class BC.
The key differences are:
| Rule | Wales: Class BA | England: Class BC |
|---|---|---|
| Annual campsite use | 60 days | 60 days |
| Protected landscapes | 28 days | No equivalent Class BC limit |
| Pitch limit | No express 50-pitch cap in Class BA | Maximum 50 pitches |
| 100m dwelling buffer | Yes | No national Class BC buffer |
| Annual process | Determination of whether prior approval is required | Written notification |
| Prior approval | Toilet and wastewater, waste, access where triggered | Mainly Flood Zones 2 and 3 |
| Caravans | Motorhomes and campervans may qualify | Limited motor vehicle accommodation category |
Do not import English Class BC rules into Wales.
Do not import the Welsh 100m buffer into England.
Check the correct national legislation.
Read the English Class BC Order if your land is in England.
A practical plan for farm diversification camping
1. Audit the land
Check every exclusion.
Review flood maps.
Check designations.
Check listed buildings.
Check Article 4 Directions.
Check the 100m radius around every protected dwelling.
Record your findings.
2. Choose your dates
Select a 60-day window that suits demand.
Easter to September may offer the best return.
Avoid wasting days during low demand.
Keep a calendar.
3. Prepare the facilities
Provide toilets.
Plan wastewater removal.
Provide waste storage.
Arrange regular collection.
Use a compliant facilities block or hire portable units to hotel standard.
Show everything on the plan.
4. Plan the access
Use a safe entrance.
Avoid poor visibility.
Keep vehicles off the public road.
Add turning space.
Prepare a short access statement if traffic may be an issue.
5. Submit one clear application
Use one site plan.
Number each pitch.
Mark every facility.
Show the highway.
Show the site boundary.
List the operating dates.
Pay any required fee.
Keep proof of submission.
6. Keep evidence
Record the determination.
Save all plans.
Keep approval notices.
Record operating days.
Photograph the layout before opening.
Keep guest and waste records.
Treat a compliant season as evidence.
It can support a later permanent campsite application.
Class BA action checklist
Before you open, confirm that you have:
- Checked the 60-day or 28-day limit.
- Mapped every protected dwelling.
- Measured the 100m buffer.
- Checked Flood Zones 2 and 3.
- Checked Article 4 Directions.
- Reviewed the full exclusion list.
- Confirmed that the units are permitted.
- Planned toilets and wastewater.
- Planned waste disposal.
- Designed safe highway access.
- Marked pitches and amenities.
- Listed all operating dates.
- Submitted the annual determination application.
- Waited for the correct outcome.
- Matched the site to the approved or submitted plan.
Read the Open Sky Adventure legal guides for more information on camping legislation UK 2026, permitted development rights campsite UK rules and licensed camping.
You can also review our guide to prior approval campsites in 2026.
Turn your land into a managed camping site
Class BA can support farm diversification camping.
It can help pubs and hotels add seasonal pitches.
It can test demand before a permanent planning application.
Start with a site audit.
Map the buffer.
Prepare the facilities.
Submit the right documents.
Contact Open Sky Adventure to discuss your land and licensed camping options.
Join the Open Sky Adventure group and sign up on the website.
We will happily help you, sign up live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
Meta description: Understand Class BA camping Wales in 2026, including the 100m buffer zone, prior approval campsite process, 60-day rule, caravan limits and farm diversification options.