Meta description: Learn how campsite planning enforcement works in 2026, from planning contravention notices to temporary stop notices, and how to protect your site.
Hello, landowners and rural operators.
Your 60-day right has limits; this is what happens past them.
Know the rules, keep your records, and act quickly if the council contacts you.
First, what counts as a breach?
Under section 171A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, a breach of planning control means carrying out development without required permission, or failing to meet a condition or limitation attached to permission.
That includes the limits and conditions of permitted development rights. Exceed Class BC’s 60 days or 50 pitches, or fail to meet its notification, facilities or flood-approval requirements, and the council may treat this as a breach. See the Class BC rules and Class BC conditions.
One important correction: Class BC is not strictly tent-only. It allows up to 50 pitches and moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite. It excludes caravans except motor vehicles designed or adapted for habitation, such as campervans. Class BA was tied to a temporary 2021 period. Do not rely on it for a 2026 campsite.
Class BC is an England permitted development right. Do not assume it applies in Wales. Check the rules for your nation, the land’s designation, and any local Article 4 direction before trading.
The notice ladder, top to bottom
Councils should act proportionately. They do not have to follow a fixed sequence, and they can choose the action that fits the case. Read the GOV.UK enforcement guidance, updated in May 2026.
No formal action or an informal remedy
The council may resolve a matter informally. It should usually avoid formal enforcement for a trivial technical breach that causes no harm, or where a planning application is the right way to regularise the use.
Do not treat an informal response as permission. Confirm what the council expects, and keep a record.
Planning contravention notice
A planning contravention notice gathers information. The council can ask about land use, activities and operations. It may also ask how you will address a suspected breach.
Respond fully within 21 days. Failing to reply, or giving false or misleading information, is an offence. See section 171C and the GOV.UK guidance on planning contravention notices.
Enforcement warning notice
Since 25 April 2024, a council can issue an enforcement warning notice under section 172ZA. It is a formal invitation to apply for retrospective permission where the council thinks the development has a reasonable prospect of being acceptable.
Apply by the date stated, or the council may take further action. You cannot appeal the warning notice to the Secretary of State. Its issue also counts as enforcement action for the statutory time-limit rules. Treat it as a chance to seek permission, not as approval.
Retrospective planning application
A retrospective application under section 73A is one route to regularise development after the event. You generally get one opportunity: make the application, or use a ground (a) appeal against an enforcement notice. You cannot use both routes for the same development.
The council may decline to determine an application once it has issued an enforcement notice. Get professional advice before choosing your route.
Enforcement notice
An enforcement notice identifies the alleged breach and sets out the steps required to remedy it, or the activity that must stop. You usually have a right of appeal. Check the notice and deadlines at once.
If the notice takes effect, its compliance period expires, and there is no outstanding appeal, failing to comply is an offence. The court can impose an unlimited fine and must consider the financial benefit gained. Councils may also seek confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. They can enter the land, carry out required works and recover their costs.
Breach of condition and stop notices
A breach of condition notice targets failure to follow a planning condition. It has no appeal to the Secretary of State. Non-compliance after the stated period can lead to prosecution and an unlimited fine.
A stop notice is different. It cannot be served alone; it must accompany an enforcement notice. It usually takes effect at least three days after service, although special cases can allow an earlier date. See GOV.UK’s stop notice guidance.
Temporary stop notice: the campsite killer
A temporary stop notice can prohibit an activity immediately. It does not need an enforcement notice first. It can cover activity that happens intermittently or seasonally, so a pop-up campsite can be caught.
Since 25 April 2024, it can last up to 56 days in England. In Wales, it lasts up to 28 days. Breaking one is an offence with an unlimited fine. You cannot appeal it to the Secretary of State; you can make representations to the council or challenge it by judicial review.
Compensation is limited to specific cases. These include activity that was permitted development, activity with planning permission where its conditions were met, or certain cases where the council withdraws the notice. Your records help show which applies. See section 171E and section 171H.
Injunction
An injunction is the most serious option. A council can seek one to stop an actual or expected breach. Breaching a court injunction can amount to contempt of court and lead to prison. Councils generally use this as a last resort.
How long does a breach stay alive?
For a campsite change of use in England, the enforcement period is generally 10 years from the breach. The 10-year rules came into force on 25 April 2024. A 2026 breach does not become immune after a few seasons.
In Wales, the general period for this type of breach remains four years. Check the rules for your location and the date of the alleged breach. See section 171B and the GOV.UK time-limit guidance.
Two exceptions matter. A council may take further action within four years of earlier enforcement action on the same breach. This is known as the “second bite” rule. Deliberate concealment can also allow the council to seek a planning enforcement order and reopen the issue.
Your paperwork is your shield
If a temporary stop notice interrupts an activity that was permitted development, evidence can help support a compensation claim. Keep your Class BC paperwork in one place. Make it easy to show that you met the rules.
Keep copies of your annual notification, dated site plan, facilities details, campsite dates and any flood prior approval. Class BC requires written notice to the local planning authority before development begins each calendar year. The site plan must show toilet and waste facilities and the dates the site will be in use. If the land is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, secure prior approval before starting.
Compensation is not automatic. The statutory tests are narrow. But clear records can help establish your position.
How to avoid a council visit
Use this checklist before your next season:
- Keep a written calendar-year day log. Count conservatively: record every day the campsite is set up or open, even if no guest arrives.
- Stay within the 60-day limit and the 50-pitch maximum.
- Check what structures your permitted route allows. Under England’s Class BC, do not site caravans other than qualifying campervans.
- Send your annual notification and site plan before the season starts. Include facilities and planned use dates.
- Check your site’s designation and the local Article 4 map. An Article 4 direction can remove permitted development rights.
- If a planning contravention notice arrives, respond fully within 21 days.
- If an enforcement warning notice arrives, assess the application route promptly. It may be the simplest way to seek permanent permission.
- If an enforcement notice arrives, get professional advice at once. Protect your one opportunity to apply retrospectively or make a ground (a) appeal.
- If a temporary stop notice arrives, stop the listed activity immediately. Do not trade through it. Record the notice and get advice.
For more on the legal framework, visit Open Sky Adventure’s legal information. If you own a farm, rural property or hospitality business, join our community and sign up on our website to connect with the group.
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