Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your unused field may support a temporary campsite.
Check the rules first.
In England, Class BC permitted development rights can allow camping for up to 60 days per calendar year.
You can use up to 50 pitches.
You must notify your local planning authority before the operating year begins.
You must provide toilets and waste disposal facilities.
You need prior approval if any part of the campsite sits in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Use this guide to plan your site, prepare your notification letter and avoid common mistakes.
This article is for information only. It is not legal advice. Confirm your site position with your local planning authority and licensing team before taking bookings.
What Class BC camping permits in England
Class BC is the main permitted development route for a temporary recreational campsite in England.
It can allow you to:
- Use land as a temporary campsite
- Operate for up to 60 days in one calendar year
- Provide up to 50 pitches
- Use moveable structures needed for the campsite
- Provide portable toilets, showers or a moveable reception hut
The 60-day limit runs from 1 January to 31 December.
It does not run for 60 days from your opening date.
You can use the days in different ways:
- One 60-day period
- Selected weekends
- School holidays
- Several shorter operating blocks
- A 30-day spring period and a 30-day summer period
Keep a daily operating log.
Record every day when the land is used as a campsite.
Class BC does not automatically cover every camping unit. Check separate rules before accepting towed caravans or adding permanent buildings.
Read the official Class BC legislation.
The 28-day rule has changed
Do not rely on the old 28-day rule for a standard campsite in England.
The former general temporary-use route created a 28-day limit. Class BC now provides the main permitted development route for temporary recreational campsites.
The key figures are now:
| Requirement | Class BC limit |
|---|---|
| Operating period | 60 days per calendar year |
| Maximum pitches | 50 |
| Notification | Required before each operating year |
| Toilets | Must be provided on site |
| Waste disposal | Must be provided on site |
| Flood Zone 2 or 3 | Prior approval required |
| Prior approval decision period | 56 days |
Do not split one campsite across nearby fields to avoid the limit.
Plan the full operation.
Map the access, pitches, facilities, parking and management arrangements as one site.
Your Class BC notification letter
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before using the land as a campsite in each calendar year.
Your notification is not a general request for permission.
It tells the council how and when you will use the right.
Send a clear letter.
Attach a clear site plan.
Include the exact operating dates.
Include these details
Your written notification should include:
- Your name and contact details.
- The landowner’s name, if different.
- The full site address.
- The site location or grid reference.
- The proposed campsite operating dates.
- The site boundary.
- The pitch layout.
- The site entrance.
- Internal access routes.
- Emergency access.
- Toilet locations.
- Waste disposal locations.
- Parking areas.
- Nearby homes and sensitive uses.
- Details of moveable structures.
- A contact number for the site operator.
Use a scaled plan.
Mark each facility clearly.
Show where guests will enter and leave.
Show where emergency vehicles can reach the site.
Do not send a vague letter that says, “We plan to operate a campsite this summer.”
The council needs usable information.
Use this notification structure
Adapt the following format to your site:
Subject: Class BC temporary recreational campsite notification , [site address]
I am notifying the local planning authority of the proposed use of land at [full address] as a temporary recreational campsite under Class BC.
The campsite will operate on these dates: [insert every operating date or operating period].
The site will contain [number] pitches, which is below the 50-pitch limit.
The attached plan shows the site boundary, pitch layout, entrance, internal access, emergency access, toilet facilities and waste disposal facilities.
The site will provide on-site toilet and waste disposal facilities for campsite users.
Please confirm receipt of this notification and advise if your authority requires any further information.
Name, address, telephone number and email address.
Check your local planning authority’s preferred process.
Some councils ask for a specific form.
Some ask you to submit through an online planning portal.
Keep proof of submission.
Save the letter, plan, receipt and all council replies in your compliance file.
How to prepare your site step by step
1. Check the land
Confirm that the land is in England.
Check whether an Article 4 Direction affects the site.
Check for exclusions, including:
- Listed building curtilage
- Site of Special Scientific Interest
- Scheduled monument
- Safety hazard area
- Military explosives storage area
Do not assume that farmland qualifies.
Check the planning history.
Check local designations.
2. Check the flood zone
Find out whether any part of the proposed campsite sits in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
This includes the areas used for:
- Pitches
- Toilets
- Waste facilities
- Parking
- Access
- Reception
- Guest movement
If any part of the proposed campsite sits in Flood Zone 2 or 3, prior approval is mandatory.
Do this check before advertising dates.
3. Draw the site plan
Walk the field.
Mark the boundary.
Measure the pitch areas.
Keep the layout within 50 pitches.
Separate guest vehicles from emergency access.
Place toilets where guests can reach them.
Place waste facilities where they can be serviced without crossing pitch areas.
Mark nearby houses.
Show gates, tracks, water points and other site features.
Use one plan for the notification, your operations file and your safety briefing.
4. Arrange toilets and waste disposal
Class BC requires on-site toilet and waste disposal facilities.
Do not treat these as optional extras.
You can use moveable facilities where they are reasonably necessary for the campsite.
Plan for:
- Toilet capacity
- Handwashing
- Chemical toilet disposal
- General refuse
- Recycling
- Waste collection
- Servicing access
- Cleaning records
- Spill response
Write down who will inspect and service the facilities.
Keep the records.
5. Send the notification early
Send your written notification before the campsite opens.
Allow time to correct errors.
Allow more time if you may need prior approval.
Do not wait until the first booking arrives.
Do not open while a required prior approval application is still undecided.
6. Keep a compliance file
Store:
- Site plans
- Operating dates
- Notification letters
- Proof of delivery
- Planning authority replies
- Flood information
- Prior approval documents
- Facility servicing records
- Waste contracts
- Insurance documents
- Site inspection records
- Daily operating logs
Review the file before every operating year.
When prior approval is mandatory
Prior approval applies when any part of the proposed campsite is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
You must apply to the local planning authority before the campsite starts that year.
Prepare a complete document pack.
Include:
- A site plan
- Exact operating dates
- Pitch numbers and locations
- Toilet and waste arrangements
- A flood risk assessment
- Warning arrangements
- Evacuation arrangements
- Emergency access details
- Guest communication procedures
- Details of site management
The local planning authority has 56 days to decide.
You must wait for:
- Written confirmation that prior approval is granted, or
- The 56-day period to expire without the authority notifying you that approval is granted or refused
Do not confuse the two time limits.
The 60 days controls how long the campsite can operate.
The 56 days controls the prior approval decision period.
Submit early.
A complete application helps avoid delay.
Use the Planning Portal prior approval form for temporary recreational campsites in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
Strategies for farmers, pubs and hotels
Farmers
Start with one field.
Choose land with direct access.
Keep pitches away from livestock areas.
Separate campers from farm traffic.
Use a simple pitch layout.
Record the 60 operating days.
Use the campsite to support farm diversification without changing the whole farm operation.
Pubs
Link pitches to food and drink services.
Set clear guest routes between the site and the pub.
Control parking.
Set quiet hours.
Keep waste collection separate from customer access.
Check whether your existing facilities can support the campsite.
Hotels
Use the campsite to extend accommodation capacity.
Plan guest arrival and departure.
Separate campsite traffic from hotel traffic.
Offer toilets and waste facilities on the camping area.
Use your existing booking, cleaning and emergency systems.
Check whether extra licensing, insurance or fire controls apply.
Check other legal requirements
Permitted development rights do not remove every legal duty.
Speak to your local licensing team.
Check whether you need:
- A campsite licence
- A caravan site licence
- Public liability insurance
- Fire safety controls
- Waste contracts
- Water and wastewater arrangements
- Environmental permissions
- Food or hospitality permissions
Keep your planning and licensing checks separate.
Both matter.
Turn your land into a compliant campsite
Class BC can support a practical farm diversification plan.
It can also help pubs, hotels and rural businesses use spare land.
Start with the site.
Check the flood zone.
Count the pitches.
Set the dates.
Draw the plan.
Provide toilets and waste disposal.
Send the notification.
Apply for prior approval when required.
Open Sky Adventure helps landowners simplify campsite planning, site layouts, safety systems and compliance checks.
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