Hello, landowner. You may be able to use your land for a temporary campsite in 2026.
Class BC permitted development rights provide a route for farmers, rural landowners, pubs and hotels to host campers in England without submitting a full planning application.
You must still follow the rules.
You must check the land, plan the site, notify the local planning authority, provide facilities and apply for prior approval where required.
This guide explains the process.
Planning rules can change. Check the current legislation and speak to your local planning authority before taking bookings.
What is Class BC camping in England?
Class BC is a permitted development right under Part 4 of Schedule 2 to the GPDO.
It allows land to be used as a temporary recreational campsite for:
- Up to 60 days in each calendar year
- No more than 50 pitches
- Moveable structures needed for the campsite
- On-site toilets and waste disposal facilities
The 60 days do not need to run consecutively. You can use weekends, school holidays or selected periods that match local demand.
Keep a written record of every operating day.
Do not exceed 60 days.
What happened to the 28-day rule?
The old 28-day rule is often still mentioned in campsite advice.
Do not rely on it as your main 2026 route.
The rules changed. Normal temporary camping in England now sits under Class BC. The right allows up to 60 days, subject to its conditions.
The general temporary use provisions under Class B no longer provide the same route for ordinary camping, except in specific cases such as camping connected with a festival.
Read our guide to Class BC camping and the 60-day limit before you design your season.
Step 1: Check whether your land qualifies
Start with the site.
Confirm that the land is in England and that the proposed use fits Class BC.
Check for excluded land. Class BC cannot be used where the land is:
- A Site of Special Scientific Interest
- A scheduled monument
- Within the curtilage of a listed building
- In a safety hazard area
- In a military explosives area
Check the Class BC legislation and ask your local planning authority to confirm any site-specific constraints.
Also check:
- Access for emergency vehicles
- Road visibility
- Drainage
- Nearby homes
- Public rights of way
- Protected habitats
- Watercourses
- Existing farm or hospitality activity
- Waste collection access
Do not advertise before you complete these checks.
Step 2: Check the flood zone
Flood risk is the key Class BC prior approval trigger.
Use the Flood Map for Planning to check the site.
If the land is in Flood Zone 1, Class BC prior approval is not normally required on flood risk grounds.
If the land is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, you must apply for prior approval before the campsite use begins in that calendar year.
Do not treat a map check as the full assessment. Boundaries can be complex. Ask the Environment Agency or your planning consultant for further advice where the site sits close to a flood zone boundary.
Step 3: Understand the 100m buffer zone
The phrase “100m buffer zone campsite” is often used in UK camping discussions.
There is no national 100-metre buffer zone requirement in the English Class BC legislation.
Class BC does not state that every campsite must sit 100 metres from a building, watercourse, boundary or other feature.
This issue is often confused with:
- Welsh Class BA camping rules
- Local planning guidance
- Environmental consultation distances
- Water, pipeline or safety guidance
- Site-specific landscape or ecology advice
Do not assume that a 100-metre rule applies to your English site.
Do not assume that it never matters.
Check your local planning policy and contact the LPA. A local authority may raise separation, landscape, ecology, access or neighbour issues through another planning process. Other regulators may also set their own distances.
Ask the LPA to confirm which rule applies, where it comes from and whether it affects your proposed site.
Map the answer.
Keep it with your compliance records.
For a wider explanation, read The 100m Buffer Zone: Your Campsite Compliance Checklist.
Step 4: Prepare your site plan
Create a clear plan before you notify the council or submit prior approval.
Show:
- The site boundary
- Every pitch
- Vehicle access
- Parking
- Toilets
- Waste disposal points
- Water points
- Fire equipment
- Emergency access
- Nearby roads, buildings and watercourses
- Any relevant buffer or stand-off requested by a regulator
Keep the layout practical.
Separate vehicles from play areas.
Keep emergency routes clear.
Place toilets where guests can reach them without crossing vehicle routes.
Keep waste facilities away from watercourses and food areas.
Start with fewer pitches. Test demand. Expand only when the site, facilities and management systems work.
Step 5: Provide toilets and waste facilities
Class BC requires on-site provision for toilets and waste disposal.
This is a legal condition, not an optional extra.
Choose facilities that match:
- Your pitch numbers
- Your operating dates
- Your guest profile
- Your water supply
- Your waste contractor
- Your access arrangements
Arrange regular servicing.
Keep records of cleaning, emptying and maintenance.
Provide clear guest instructions.
Plan for peak periods. A small site can still create a large waste problem during bank holidays.
Step 6: Submit prior approval if required
You need prior approval when the site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
Prepare the application in this order:
1. Confirm the correct local planning authority
Use the council’s planning portal or contact its planning team.
Ask which prior approval form, fee and supporting documents it requires.
2. Prepare a flood risk assessment
Use a site-specific assessment.
It should explain:
- The flood source
- The level and type of risk
- The proposed pitch locations
- Access and escape routes
- The effect on visitors
- How warnings will be issued
- How evacuation will work
- What happens during severe weather
A generic document may not answer the council’s questions.
3. Add your warning and evacuation plan
Show how you will monitor conditions.
Name who will make decisions.
Explain how you will contact guests.
Identify the safe route and assembly point.
Consider guests arriving after dark, children, dogs and visitors with limited mobility.
4. Submit the application and fee
Include the site plan, flood risk assessment, warning and evacuation plan and any other documents requested by the LPA.
Keep proof of submission.
5. Wait before opening
Do not start the campsite while the application is being assessed.
Development must not begin until the LPA gives written notice granting prior approval, or the relevant 56-day period has passed without the LPA notifying you whether prior approval is granted or refused.
Check the exact legal position for your application. Do not treat silence as permission to ignore other conditions.
Step 7: Notify the LPA every year
Class BC requires written notification before the campsite use starts in each calendar year.
Include:
- The operating dates
- A site plan
- The toilet locations
- The waste facility locations
- Your contact details
- Any prior approval information, if relevant
Send the notice early.
Some councils may ask for local information or recommend a lead-in period. Follow the council’s published process.
Keep copies of:
- Your notification
- The site plan
- The submission receipt
- Emails with the LPA
- Your operating-day log
- Facility servicing records
- Safety checks
Good records help show that your campsite operates within the permitted development right.
Step 8: Check licensing and other duties
Planning permission and site licensing are different matters.
You may need a campsite licence under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, depending on the type and duration of your use.
A campsite operating for more than 42 consecutive days may require particular attention.
Caravans, motorhomes and campervans can create separate licensing issues.
Contact your local authority’s licensing team before you accept bookings.
Also arrange:
- Public liability insurance
- A written risk assessment
- Fire safety procedures
- First-aid arrangements
- Guest terms
- Waste contracts
- Privacy and booking processes
- Emergency contact details
- Landowner and neighbour communication
How to make a campsite profitable
Use the 60 days carefully.
Choose dates with demand.
Start with 10 to 20 pitches.
Track bookings, cancellations, cleaning costs, waste costs and staff time.
Price each pitch after you understand your costs.
Build simple packages with local businesses. Partner with a pub, farm shop, walking guide or outdoor activity provider.
Give guests clear arrival instructions.
Keep toilets clean.
Respond to problems quickly.
Ask for feedback after each stay.
Use the data to decide whether you need a permanent planning application, a licence-based model or a different form of diversification.
Do not build permanent structures on the assumption that Class BC covers them.
Class BC is a temporary campsite right. Permanent buildings, hardstanding, utility works and long-term changes may need separate consent.
Read Open Sky Adventure’s land diversification guidance and review the legal information before you proceed.
Your Class BC checklist
Before opening, complete these actions:
- Check the land designation.
- Check the flood zone.
- Ask the LPA about any local 100m buffer or other distance requirement.
- Confirm the 60 operating days.
- Keep within the 50-pitch limit.
- Prepare the site plan.
- Provide toilets and waste disposal.
- Submit prior approval if the site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3.
- Notify the LPA every year.
- Check site licensing.
- Arrange insurance and safety controls.
- Keep full records.
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, hospitality owners and rural landowners assess camping opportunities, prepare compliant operations and choose the right licensing route.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
Contact Open Sky Adventure to discuss your land, site location and proposed camping use.