Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your unused field may support a temporary campsite.
England’s Class BC permitted development rights can allow up to 60 days of camping per calendar year, with up to 50 pitches.
You must follow each condition.
Use this plan before you buy equipment, publish dates or accept bookings.
Start with the correct legal route
Class BC is the main route for a temporary recreational campsite in England.
It sits within Part 4 of the General Permitted Development Order.
Class BC allows you to:
- Use land as a recreational campsite.
- Operate for up to 60 days in total each calendar year.
- Provide up to 50 pitches.
- Install moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
The 60 days do not need to run together.
You can split them across the year.
Count every operating day.
Keep a calendar.
Do not treat 60 days as 60 days per event or per pitch.
What happened to the 28-day rule?
The old 28-day rule still matters when you research camping legislation in the UK.
It is not, however, the normal route for ordinary temporary camping in England.
The 2023 changes removed ordinary camping from the general Class B temporary-use right. Class B now covers camping only when it connects with a festival.
Use Class BC for ordinary temporary recreational camping in England.
Do not rely on an old 28-day campsite arrangement.
Check the current position with your local planning authority before you proceed.
Wales has separate planning legislation. Do not apply Class BC camping England rules to a Welsh site.
In 2026, Welsh rules include different provisions for temporary campsites, with a 28-day limit in certain protected landscapes. Article 4 Directions can also remove permitted development rights.
Read the relevant Welsh legislation, then contact the relevant Welsh planning authority.
The five Class BC limits
Keep your proposal within these limits.
1. Use the land for no more than 60 days
Choose your dates before the season starts.
Record opening and closing dates.
Avoid accidental overrun.
Do not allow bookings to extend beyond your approved calendar.
2. Provide no more than 50 pitches
Mark each pitch on your plan.
Count every pitch.
Do not add extra pitches during busy periods.
A smaller site may reduce pressure on access, drainage, waste collection and neighbours.
3. Use the correct camping units
Class BC does not allow ordinary towed caravans.
The exception is a caravan that is a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
This covers many motorhomes and campervans.
It does not provide a right to site touring caravans or static caravans.
Check separate licensing rules before accepting motorhome bookings.
4. Use moveable structures
Class BC permits moveable structures reasonably necessary for the campsite.
This can include temporary toilets, waste facilities, reception tents and similar campsite equipment.
Plan facilities that you can install and remove.
Do not build permanent structures under Class BC without checking separate planning requirements.
5. Keep the use recreational
Class BC covers a temporary recreational campsite.
It does not automatically cover permanent accommodation, residential use, storage, events or commercial buildings.
Check each proposed use separately.
Provide toilets and waste facilities on site
This is a condition of Class BC.
You must provide on-site toilet and waste disposal facilities for campsite users.
Do not open first and install facilities later.
Plan the location before you complete your annual notification.
Your site plan should show:
- Pitch locations.
- Toilet facilities.
- Waste disposal points.
- Vehicle access.
- Emergency access.
- Site boundaries.
- Any sensitive features.
- Collection and servicing access.
Place waste points away from watercourses and food preparation areas.
Set an inspection schedule.
Record cleaning, servicing and waste collections.
Send the annual written notification
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before commencement of development in each calendar year.
Include a copy of your site plan.
The plan must show:
- The toilet and waste disposal facilities.
- The specific dates when the site will be in use.
The local planning authority must send the notice to the relevant fire and rescue authority if they are separate bodies.
This is a notification.
It is not a full planning application.
It is not prior approval.
Send it early.
Keep:
- A copy of the written notification.
- The site plan.
- Proof of delivery.
- Your operating calendar.
- Facility inspection records.
- Your booking schedule.
Update the plan if the layout changes.
Check Flood Zones 2 and 3
A site in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3 needs prior approval from the local planning authority.
You need this approval each calendar year before the campsite starts.
Submit:
- A site-specific flood risk assessment.
- Warning arrangements.
- An evacuation plan.
- The proposed site details.
- The camping dates.
- Any required fee.
The local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency.
Do not start while the application is being decided.
The legislation provides a 56-day determination rule.
Development must not begin until the authority gives written prior approval, or until 56 days have passed from receipt of the application without the authority notifying you whether approval is granted or refused.
Treat 56 days as a minimum planning timetable.
Submit early.
Check your land using the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service.
Ask the local planning authority what documents and format it requires.
Check excluded land
Class BC does not apply to every site.
It does not permit development:
- On a scheduled monument.
- In a safety hazard area.
- In a military explosives storage area.
- On a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- On a site of a listed building.
- For the siting of ordinary caravans.
Check designations before you invest.
Review the site boundary, not just the wider farm or estate.
Check whether the land falls within a protected area.
Check Article 4 Directions and National Park rules
An Article 4 Direction can remove permitted development rights.
This means you may need planning permission even when Class BC would normally apply.
Take extra care in National Parks and other sensitive areas.
The New Forest National Park guidance shows why local checks matter. Class BC rights have been withdrawn or limited for many temporary campsites there.
Other National Parks may take a different approach.
Do not assume that a National Park has a standard 60-day position.
Check:
- The local planning authority.
- The National Park Authority.
- Current Article 4 Directions.
- Local planning guidance.
- Any planning conditions on the land.
Keep written confirmation where possible.
Build a low-cost farm diversification plan
Farm diversification camping can create seasonal income without permanent buildings.
Start with your land.
Then buy equipment.
Check:
- Access from the public highway.
- Ground conditions.
- Flood risk.
- Drainage.
- Nearby homes.
- Noise.
- Waste collection.
- Emergency access.
- Water supply.
- Insurance.
- Your 60-day calendar.
Use existing tracks, parking areas and service connections where suitable.
Keep the layout simple.
Offer tent pitches, motorhome pitches, guided weekends, wildlife stays, hiking breaks or small group bookings.
Calculate income per pitch before you proceed.
Use this formula:
Number of pitches × average nightly price × booked nights = gross pitch income
For example, 24 pitches at £40 per night for 35 booked nights would produce £33,600 before costs.
Treat this as a planning example.
Replace the figures with your local prices, occupancy, staffing, waste, insurance and equipment costs.
A smaller site may produce a better result if it reduces capital spending and management time.
Help pubs and hotels grow midweek trade
Pubs and hotels can use nearby land to create a camping offer.
The aim is simple.
Bring guests to the site, then connect them with food, drink and local activities.
Offer:
- Midweek camping packages.
- Breakfast add-ons.
- Dinner reservations.
- Packed lunches.
- Guided walks.
- Wildlife activities.
- Corporate team days.
- Seasonal events where legally permitted.
Set arrival times.
Control vehicle movements.
Manage noise.
Provide clear waste instructions.
Keep campsite access separate from busy customer areas where possible.
Use existing toilets, kitchens and staff only where the arrangements meet the relevant planning, health and safety requirements.
Follow this compliance action plan
Complete these steps in order.
- Confirm that the site is in England.
- Check the land boundary.
- Check Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3 status.
- Check scheduled monuments, SSSIs and listed building sites.
- Check safety hazard areas and military explosives storage areas.
- Check Article 4 Directions.
- Contact the National Park Authority if relevant.
- Plan no more than 50 pitches.
- Plan no more than 60 operating days.
- Exclude ordinary towed caravans.
- Select moveable facilities.
- Design on-site toilet and waste facilities.
- Prepare the site plan.
- Prepare the flood risk assessment if required.
- Apply for prior approval if required.
- Send the annual written notification.
- Check campsite licensing.
- Arrange insurance and safety controls.
- Keep a compliance file.
- Open only when every requirement is met.
Planning permission and licensing are separate.
Review the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.
Check whether your site needs a camping or caravan site licence.
Also check fire safety, water, waste, food safety, electrical safety, public liability insurance and business rates.
Start your licensed camping project
Class BC can help farmers, pubs, hotels and rural landowners test a campsite model.
The right allows up to 60 days and 50 pitches.
The conditions still matter.
Plan the land, facilities, dates and documents before you take bookings.
Read our Class BC camping guide, review our legal information, then unlock your land’s potential.
Join the Open Sky Adventure group and sign up on our website to discuss your site and your next steps.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
This article provides general information about permitted development rights campsite UK rules and camping legislation in 2026. It is not legal or planning advice. Confirm your proposal with the relevant planning authority before operating.