Meta description: Compare Class BC camping in England with Class BA camping in Wales in 2026, including 60-day limits, pitch rules, buffers, exclusions and prior approval.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel owner or rural landowner.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the planning route first.
The rules differ between England and Wales.
This guide compares Class BC camping England with Class BA camping Wales. It explains the 60-day limit, pitch numbers, prior approval, exclusions, the Welsh 100m buffer and the old 28-day rule.
Use it before taking bookings.
This article gives general information. It is not legal or planning advice. Check the current legislation and speak with your local planning authority before opening.
Class BC vs Class BA: the short answer
| Rule | Class BC, England | Class BA, Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Main use | Temporary recreational campsite | Temporary recreational campsite |
| Standard annual limit | 60 days | 60 days |
| Protected landscapes | Check local restrictions | 28 days in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites |
| Pitch limit | Up to 50 pitches | No equivalent national pitch number in Class BA |
| Facilities | Moveable structures reasonably needed | Moveable structures reasonably needed |
| Toilets and waste | Required | Required |
| Annual process | Written notification | Application for determination |
| Prior approval | Required in Flood Zones 2 and 3 | May be required after the council reviews the application |
| 100m dwelling buffer | No national Class BC buffer | Yes, around protected dwellings |
| Main legislation | Class BC legislation | Welsh 2026 amendment order |
The old 28-day rule still causes confusion.
In Wales, the new Class BA campsite right came into force on 1 June 2026. Camping moved out of the general Class B right from 1 September 2026.
As at October 2026, most eligible Welsh land can use Class BA for up to 60 days. Protected landscapes remain limited to 28 days.
What Class BC permits in England
Class BC permits you to:
- Use land as a recreational campsite.
- Operate for up to 60 days in one calendar year.
- Provide up to 50 pitches.
- Install moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
- Provide temporary toilets and waste facilities.
The right covers tents and motor vehicles designed or adapted for human habitation, such as motorhomes and campervans.
Do not assume that towed caravans, glamping pods, lodges or shepherd huts qualify.
Check each structure separately.
Permanent buildings, hardstanding, tracks and fixed infrastructure usually need another planning route.
Class BC notification requirements
Notify the local planning authority in writing before starting the campsite use in each calendar year.
Include:
- The site plan.
- Pitch locations.
- Toilet facilities.
- Waste disposal facilities.
- Proposed operating dates.
Keep proof of delivery.
Keep the submitted plan on site.
Operate only within the submitted details.
Class BC prior approval
Prior approval is required where the proposed campsite is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Submit:
- A site-specific flood risk assessment.
- Warning arrangements.
- Evacuation arrangements.
- The site plan.
- Operating dates.
- Toilet and waste details.
- The required fee.
The council must consult the Environment Agency.
The consultation period must allow at least 21 days.
You cannot start until written approval arrives, or until 56 days pass without the council notifying you of its decision.
Apply again for each calendar year.
What Class BA permits in Wales
Class BA permits you to:
- Use eligible land as a recreational campsite.
- Operate for up to 60 days in one calendar year.
- Use moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite.
- Provide temporary toilets, wastewater and waste arrangements.
There is no national Class BA pitch limit equivalent to England’s 50-pitch cap.
That does not mean you can plan an unlimited site.
The council can assess traffic, access, waste and site impacts.
Start with a small layout.
Show every pitch.
Explain how the site will operate.
The Welsh 28-day limit
Class BA allows only 28 days in:
- National Parks.
- National Landscapes, formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- World Heritage Sites.
Do not apply the 60-day limit automatically.
Check the designation before choosing your dates.
What counts as a day?
Count calendar days.
A day can count when:
- Campers are on the land.
- Tents or motorhomes remain on the land.
- Temporary campsite facilities remain in place.
- The site is open for camping use.
Guests do not need to stay overnight for the day to count.
For example, a Friday arrival and Sunday departure uses three days:
- Friday.
- Saturday.
- Sunday.
Setup days can count.
Closure days can count.
Remove the tents, vehicles and campsite facilities when the land is not in campsite use.
Keep one annual day log.
Count from 1 January to 31 December.
Do not count by season.
Do not move campers between fields to avoid the limit. The council may view connected fields as one campsite operation.
For Wales in 2026, subtract any days already used under the old Class B right from the available Class BA total.
Class BA prior approval in Wales
Wales uses a two-stage process.
Stage one: apply for a determination
Apply before starting the campsite each year.
Provide:
- A location plan.
- The site boundary.
- Numbered pitches.
- Toilets and wastewater facilities.
- Waste storage and collection arrangements.
- Highway access.
- Parking and turning areas.
- Operating dates.
- Emergency access.
The council has 28 days to decide whether prior approval is required.
If the council says prior approval is not required, operate in line with the submitted details.
If the council does not respond within 28 days, the Welsh guidance allows the use to proceed in accordance with the submission, subject to other legal restrictions.
Stage two: submit prior approval details
The council must consider prior approval where the campsite may create:
- A material increase in traffic.
- A material change in the character of traffic.
- Unsafe highway access.
- Poor visibility.
- Queues on the public highway.
The council can also request information about toilets, wastewater and waste disposal.
Submit the extra information requested.
Wait for written approval.
The council should decide within eight weeks.
Do not open during this stage.
The 100m buffer in Wales
Class BA does not allow campsite land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
A protected dwelling is a house or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
The restriction does not apply to an existing private way used for access or exit.
Map nearby homes.
Measure the distance to the proposed campsite land.
Show the buffer on your plan.
Do not measure only to the nearest pitch.
If any part of the proposed campsite falls within the restricted area, consider:
- Moving the pitches.
- Using another field.
- Reducing the campsite boundary.
- Applying for full planning permission.
Do not leave the buffer off the plan.
That creates an enforcement risk.
Exclusions and protected land
Check designations before spending money.
England
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.
- For caravans outside the limited motor vehicle wording.
A National Park, National Landscape or conservation area is not automatically excluded by the national Class BC wording.
However, check:
- Article 4 Directions.
- Local planning restrictions.
- Restrictive planning conditions.
- National Park authority guidance.
- Conservation area controls.
- Listed building curtilage and setting.
Wales
Class BA does not apply:
- On a scheduled monument.
- In a Special Area of Conservation.
- In a safety hazard area.
- In a military explosives storage area.
- On a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- On a Ramsar site.
- On a site of a listed building.
- In a Special Protection Area.
- In Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
- Within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites are not always excluded from camping altogether.
They carry the lower 28-day limit.
A conservation area is not listed as an automatic Class BA exclusion. Still check local controls and Article 4 Directions.
If your land sits on both sides of the border
Treat the English and Welsh land as separate planning areas.
Do not combine the days.
Do not combine the pitch limits.
Do not send one notification to cover both sides.
Map the legal boundary.
Then:
- Identify the local planning authority for each parcel.
- Apply Class BC to the English land.
- Apply Class BA to the Welsh land.
- Keep separate operating-date records.
- Check designations on both sides.
- Check the Welsh 100m buffer for the Welsh land.
- Provide separate access, waste and emergency details where needed.
A campsite entrance in England does not make Welsh pitches subject to Class BC.
A Welsh field does not gain England’s 50-pitch limit.
Ask for written confirmation where the boundary, access or site operation is unclear.
Practical checklist for farmers, pubs and hotels
Use this checklist for farm diversification camping and rural hospitality sites.
Check the land
- Confirm England or Wales.
- Check flood zones.
- Check protected sites.
- Check listed buildings.
- Check National Park or National Landscape status.
- Check conservation area status.
- Check Article 4 Directions.
- Map nearby dwellings.
Design the campsite
- Choose the operating dates.
- Number each pitch.
- Keep within 50 pitches in England.
- Show tents and permitted motor vehicles.
- Plan toilets and wastewater.
- Plan waste storage and collection.
- Provide parking and turning space.
- Keep emergency access clear.
- Remove temporary facilities when closed.
Submit the correct process
- Notify the English council under Class BC.
- Apply for Class BC prior approval in Flood Zones 2 and 3.
- Apply for a Welsh Class BA determination.
- Submit Welsh prior approval details if required.
- Wait for written approval where required.
- Keep every plan and decision letter.
Check separate duties
Permitted development rights do not remove campsite licensing duties.
A site may need a licence if it operates for more than 42 consecutive days or more than 60 days in the relevant licensing period.
Check with the local authority.
Also check fire safety, waste, water, public health and insurance requirements.
Turn land into a compliant pop-up campsite
Start with a site review.
Choose the smallest workable area.
Use movable facilities.
Set clear quiet hours.
Create a waste plan.
Create an emergency plan.
Keep a daily record.
Use the campsite to support your farm, pub or hotel.
Offer stays linked to walking, food, local events or outdoor activities.
Build slowly.
Check every change before making it.
Read Open Sky Adventure’s legal guidance, review the prior approval guide, then contact Open Sky Adventure.
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