Hello, landowner.
Your spare field may support a temporary campsite.
Class BC of Part 4 of the General Permitted Development Order 2015 lets you use land as a recreational campsite for up to 60 days in one calendar year.
You can provide up to 50 pitches.
You must follow the limits.
Use this calendar to plan your season, protect your land, and keep your paperwork ready.
Start with the Class BC limits
Class BC permits:
- Up to 60 campsite days per calendar year
- Up to 50 pitches at any one time
- Movable structures reasonably needed for the campsite
- Tents
- Motorhomes and campervans designed or adapted for human habitation
Do not accept touring caravans under this right.
Do not treat Class BC as a permanent campsite approval.
The 60-day limit applies to the land. It does not reset because you move campers between fields.
Keep one day-count log for the whole site.
The 28-day rule is not the campsite rule
The standard 28-day rule sits under Part 4, Class B.
It allows some temporary land uses for up to 28 days each calendar year.
It does not provide a general right to run a campsite.
Camping is excluded from the ordinary Class B right, except in narrow festival circumstances. Caravans are also restricted.
Class BC is the separate England-only right for temporary recreational campsites.
If your land is in Wales, stop and check the Welsh rules. Do not apply Class BC to Welsh land.
Read Open Sky Adventure’s legal guidance before you choose a route.
January and February: check the site
Start before you book guests.
1. Confirm the land
Check:
- The site is in England
- The land is not covered by an Article 4 Direction removing the right
- No planning condition removes the right
- The site is not in an excluded designation
- The site is in a suitable flood zone
- You have a safe access route
- You can provide toilets and waste disposal on site
Class BC does not apply:
- 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
Check the official flood map for planning.
2. Choose the field
Farmers can use spare pasture.
Choose ground with:
- Vehicle access
- Firm parking areas
- Space for emergency access
- Distance from livestock
- Low flood risk
- Good drainage
- Room for toilet and waste facilities
Do not choose a field only because it is empty.
Check how campers will reach it, where waste will go, and how you will restore the grass.
Pubs and hotels can consider adjacent land.
England has no Class BC 100-metre buffer rule.
That does not remove the need to check ownership, access, planning constraints, neighbouring uses, and site-licensing rules.
March: build your site plan
Prepare one clear plan.
Show:
- Site boundaries
- Pitch locations
- Access and exit routes
- Parking
- Toilets
- Waste disposal facilities
- Fire points
- Water points
- Emergency access
- Any field rotation areas
Class BC requires on-site toilet and waste disposal facilities.
Do not rely on a distant public toilet.
Do not leave waste arrangements until opening week.
Use movable facilities where suitable.
Keep servicing records, collection records, and inspection notes.
These records support safe operation.
They also help if the LPA asks how the site works.
April: submit your annual notification
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before campsite use starts in each calendar year.
Send:
- The site plan
- Toilet and waste facility details
- Waste disposal details
- The exact dates of use
Use specific dates.
Do not write “during summer” or “as required”.
Write the actual dates.
Keep:
- A copy of the notification
- The submission receipt
- The site plan sent
- The dates submitted
- Any LPA response
The LPA must pass the notice to the relevant fire and rescue authority where required.
Submit early.
Aim for at least four to eight weeks before your first campsite day.
Flood Zones 2 and 3: allow 56 days
Flood Zone 2 or 3 adds another step.
You need prior approval from the LPA before starting each calendar year.
Submit:
- A site-specific Flood Risk Assessment
- Warning arrangements
- Evacuation arrangements
- The required fee
- The site plan
- Your operating dates
The LPA must consult the Environment Agency.
The consultation period must be at least 21 days.
The normal determination window is 56 days.
Do not open because you have submitted the application.
Start only after:
- Written prior approval, or
- 56 days have passed without the LPA notifying you of its decision
Use the Environment Agency flood risk guidance when preparing your assessment.
Plan this work before you advertise dates.
Map the 60 days around demand
Do not spread the days at random.
Use school holidays and bank holiday weekends.
Check your local council’s school term dates. Dates vary across England.
Use this sample allocation:
| Season block | Suggested days | Operating focus |
|---|---|---|
| Easter school break | 10 | Families and short stays |
| Early May bank holiday | 3 | Friday to Sunday |
| Late May bank holiday and half term | 10 | Family bookings |
| Summer school holidays | 30 | Main trading block, include the August bank holiday |
| October half term | 7 | Final family block |
| Total | 60 | Full annual allowance |
Edit the split to match your location.
A coastal site may favour summer.
A walking site may favour spring and autumn.
A pub campsite may perform well on bank holiday weekends.
List every operating date before you notify the LPA.
Do not add extra days later without checking your annual total and notification position.
Use blocks, not scattered weekends
Blocks simplify operations.
They reduce setup work.
They make cleaning easier.
They help you plan staff and waste collection.
They also help guests find dates.
Create three or five operating blocks.
Then close the field between blocks.
Use the closed periods to:
- Move toilets if needed
- Repair access
- Collect waste
- Check fences
- Rest the grass
- Rotate pitches
- Review bookings
- Update your day-count log
Field rotation protects pasture.
It does not create extra Class BC days.
Keep one combined record for all fields used under the same campsite operation.
Keep a live day-count log
Use a spreadsheet or paper log.
Record:
- Date
- Field used
- Number of pitches
- Number of guests
- Arrival and departure activity
- Facilities checked
- Waste removed
- Grass condition
- Weather or flood warnings
- Staff member responsible
Update it every operating day.
Check the total before accepting a new booking.
Never rely on memory.
Your records should show that you stayed within:
- 60 days per calendar year
- 50 pitches at any one time
- The dates notified to the LPA
- The details approved in a flood-zone case
Farmers: turn spare pasture into income
Start with one field.
Keep the layout simple.
Offer tent pitches first.
Add motorhome and campervan pitches only where access and ground conditions support them.
Separate campers from livestock.
Protect gates and water points.
Set quiet hours.
Give guests clear fire, waste, and emergency instructions.
A small site is easier to manage.
It also helps you test demand before investing in more equipment.
Do not install permanent buildings and assume Class BC covers them.
The right allows movable structures reasonably necessary for the use.
A permanent toilet block, hardstanding, access road, or other works may need separate advice.
Pubs and hotels: connect camping with hospitality
Use adjacent land where the legal and practical checks work.
Offer:
- Breakfast bookings
- Evening meals
- Walks
- Local information
- Parking
- Group stays
- Weekend packages
Keep campsite facilities on site.
Do not assume guests can use the pub toilets instead.
Check access after closing time.
Plan lighting without disturbing neighbours.
Keep vehicle movements away from bedrooms and dining areas.
The campsite can support your existing business.
It does not replace the need for compliance.
Beyond 60 days: check the separate licensing regime
Class BC stops at 60 days.
Do not continue camping and rely on the annual notification.
For use beyond 60 days, check the separate regime under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 and Section 269 of the Public Health Act 1936.
You may need:
- Planning permission
- A caravan site licence
- Licence conditions
- Public health measures
- Fire safety arrangements
- Drainage and waste controls
Planning permission and site licensing are separate matters.
One does not automatically replace the other.
Get advice before extending the season.
Open Sky Adventure can help
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, pub owners, hotel operators, and rural landowners assess land for compliant camping.
We can help you:
- Review the site
- Plan your 60 days
- Prepare an operating calendar
- Organise site information
- Check facilities
- Build a safer guest process
- Explore licensing options beyond Class BC
Start with Unlock Your Land and Potential.
Then contact Open Sky Adventure with your site address, location pin, and proposed use.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.