Meta description: Learn how Class BC camping in England allows up to 60 days and 50 pitches, understand prior approval, flood zones, the 28-day rule and campsite planning steps.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your field may support a temporary campsite.
Check the planning route first.
This guide explains permitted development rights campsite UK, Class BC camping England, the temporary campsite 60 days rule, and the main steps for farm diversification camping in 2026.
This article gives general information. Check your local planning authority’s position before taking bookings or starting site works.
What is Class BC camping in England?
Class BC was inserted into Part 4 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015.
It was added by SI 2023/747.
It came into force on 26 July 2023.
Class BC grants planning permission for:
- Use of land as a recreational campsite.
- Up to 60 days in total in one calendar year.
- Up to 50 pitches.
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
This is the main temporary campsite 60 days rule in England.
It is not a permanent campsite permission.
It does not remove other legal duties.
Check campsite licensing, fire safety, waste, drainage, insurance and highway access before opening.
The 60-day limit and the old 28-day rule
The old 28-day rule still causes confusion.
The general rule allowed some temporary uses of land for up to 28 days in a calendar year.
Class BC created a specific route for temporary recreational campsites in England.
That route allows up to 60 days.
Do not add 28 days to 60 days.
Do not use Class B to create extra camping days.
Track the campsite use from 1 January to 31 December.
Count the days when the land is used as a campsite.
Keep one annual operating log.
Record:
- Opening and closing dates.
- Pitch numbers in use.
- Guest arrival and departure dates.
- Temporary facilities on site.
- Any setup or closure period.
Do not rely only on booked nights.
Check how the local planning authority applies the day count to your proposed operation.
What Class BC allows
Class BC can support tents, motorhomes and campervans.
It also allows moveable structures reasonably necessary for the permitted use.
This may include temporary:
- Toilets.
- Handwashing facilities.
- Waste storage.
- Wastewater facilities.
- Site management structures.
Keep the layout temporary.
Permanent buildings, fixed hardstanding, permanent tracks and other works may need a separate planning route.
Caravans are restricted
Class BC does not allow the siting of any caravan except a caravan used as a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation.
In practical terms:
- Motorhomes can qualify.
- Campervans can qualify.
- Touring caravans do not qualify.
- Static caravans do not qualify.
- Mobile homes do not qualify.
Check every unit type before you advertise.
Do not describe a touring caravan site as a Class BC campsite without checking the legal position.
Where Class BC does not apply
Development is not permitted by Class BC:
- 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 caravans outside the motor vehicle exception.
Check the land before preparing a site plan.
Use the official Class BC legislation.
Also check:
- Flood zones.
- Listed building curtilage.
- Conservation areas.
- National Park boundaries.
- National Landscapes.
- Planning conditions.
- Local Article 4 Directions.
An Article 4 Direction can remove permitted development rights in a defined area.
The local position matters.
Examples to investigate include the Lake District National Park, Pembrokeshire Coast and Gower.
The directions and their effect differ.
Check with the relevant planning authority before relying on Class BC.
Class BC notification requirements
Notify the local planning authority in writing before starting the development in each calendar year.
Your notice must include a copy of the site plan.
The plan must show:
- The campsite boundary.
- Each pitch.
- Toilet facilities.
- Waste disposal facilities.
- Access and circulation.
- The dates when the site will be in use.
The local planning authority must pass the notice to the relevant fire and rescue authority.
Submit early.
Keep proof of delivery.
Keep a copy of the notice and plan on site.
Do not change the operating dates, pitch numbers or facility locations without checking the effect first.
Flood Zone 2 or 3: prior approval is required
Flood risk changes the process.
If the proposed campsite is on land in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, you need prior approval before starting in each calendar year.
Submit an application to the local planning authority.
Include:
- A site-specific flood risk assessment.
- Warning arrangements.
- Evacuation arrangements.
- The site plan.
- Proposed operating dates.
- Toilet and waste details.
- Any required fee.
The local planning authority must consult the Environment Agency.
The consultation must allow the Environment Agency at least 21 days to respond.
The authority must consider that response.
Do not start until:
- You receive written prior approval, or
- 56 days have expired from the date the authority received the application without a decision notice.
Prior approval may be granted without conditions.
It may also include conditions reasonably related to the subject matter of the approval.
Apply every calendar year.
Do not treat last year’s approval as a permanent approval.
What changed on 9 April 2026?
SI 2026/313 came into force on 9 April 2026.
It updated references to the National Planning Policy Framework in the GPDO.
For Class BC, the amendment removed the old wording that referred to the NPPF issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in July 2021.
It did not remove the 60-day limit.
It did not change the 50-pitch limit.
It did not remove flood-zone prior approval.
It did not change the 21-day Environment Agency consultation.
It did not change the 56-day procedure.
The practical Class BC position remains:
- 60 days per calendar year.
- 50 pitches maximum.
- Written annual notification.
- Toilets and waste facilities.
- Prior approval in Flood Zones 2 and 3.
Plan the right field
Choose the field before you plan the business.
Pick land:
- Away from nearby dwellings.
- Outside SSSIs.
- Outside scheduled monuments.
- Outside listed building sites.
- Away from flood risk where possible.
- With safe access from the public highway.
- With space for turning and emergency vehicles.
- With room for toilets, wastewater and waste storage.
Do not use every available acre.
Start with the smallest workable area.
Keep the site plan simple.
Number the pitches.
Mark the access.
Show the facilities.
Show the waste arrangements.
Ask the local planning authority for a pre-application conversation.
This does not replace the formal notification or prior approval process.
It can help identify problems early.
Plan capacity against 50 pitches
The 50-pitch limit applies to the Class BC campsite.
Do not assume that separate fields create separate allowances.
The authority may consider connected land and one operating business together.
Set a clear capacity.
For example:
- 20 tent pitches.
- 10 motorhome pitches.
- 5 pitches held back for access or operational needs.
Keep the total within the legal limit.
Match your booking system to the site plan.
Stop bookings when the site reaches capacity.
Sort facilities before marketing
Class BC requires on-site toilet and waste disposal provision for users.
Arrange this early.
Plan:
- Toilet numbers.
- Handwashing.
- Servicing.
- Wastewater storage.
- Waste collection.
- Recycling.
- General waste.
- Emergency access.
- Fire arrangements.
A clean facilities block supports the guest experience.
It also supports your compliance records.
Pubs and hotels may already have toilets and waste systems.
Check whether they are suitable for the campsite location and capacity.
Do not assume existing facilities automatically meet the Class BC condition.
Book the 60 days carefully
Use the days when demand is strongest.
Consider:
- School holidays.
- Bank holidays.
- Local festivals.
- Farm events.
- Walking seasons.
- Food and drink events.
- Peak weekend periods.
Build the calendar before taking deposits.
Keep the campsite open only on the dates you have planned.
Treat the first year as a proof of concept.
Measure:
- Occupancy.
- Revenue.
- Staffing.
- Toilet servicing.
- Waste costs.
- Traffic.
- Neighbour feedback.
- Guest complaints.
- Weather disruption.
Use the results before applying for full planning permission.
England and Wales: check the difference
This guide covers England.
Wales uses a separate permitted development route.
The Welsh rules include a 100m buffer zone campsite Wales restriction around protected dwellings.
Wales also has different rules for protected landscapes and prior approval.
Do not copy an English Class BC plan into Wales.
Check the relevant Welsh legislation and local planning authority.
If your land crosses the border, keep separate:
- Site plans.
- Day logs.
- Notifications.
- Planning correspondence.
- Pitch counts.
- Waste records.
Action checklist for landowners
Use this checklist before opening.
- Confirm that the land is in England.
- Check the local planning authority.
- Check Article 4 Directions.
- Check flood zones.
- Check SSSIs and scheduled monuments.
- Check listed building restrictions.
- Choose a field away from dwellings.
- Keep within 50 pitches.
- Select dates within 60 days.
- Exclude touring and static caravans.
- Confirm that motorhomes and campervans qualify.
- Plan toilets and waste disposal.
- Prepare a clear site plan.
- Speak with the local planning authority.
- Submit written notification before starting.
- Apply for prior approval in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
- Include a flood risk assessment.
- Include warning and evacuation arrangements.
- Keep proof of submission.
- Keep a daily operating log.
- Check campsite licensing.
- Check insurance and fire safety.
- Review the results before seeking full planning permission.
Start your campsite plan
Class BC gives eligible English landowners a clear route to test temporary camping.
Use the 60 days with care.
Stay within 50 pitches.
Provide the required facilities.
Submit the correct documents.
Check the land before you market it.
For help with unlocking your land, read our Class BC and Class BA comparison, then contact Open Sky Adventure.
Join the Open Sky Adventure group and sign up on the website.
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