Meta description: Learn how farm diversification camping works in 2026, including Class BC in England, Class BA in Wales, the 100m buffer, prior approval, costs and campsite income.
Hello, farmer, hospitality owner or rural landowner. Your unused field may support a campsite. Check the land first, follow the correct planning route, build only what you need, then test demand.
This guide explains farm diversification camping and permitted development rights for campsites in the UK.
Rules differ between England and Wales. Check them before you spend money.
Start with the right field
Your field affects planning, safety, cost and income.
Pick land that has:
- Safe vehicle access
- A firm entrance
- Good drainage
- Space for pitches
- A water supply or practical toilet solution
- Safe distance from farm machinery and livestock
- No regular flooding
- Low impact on neighbours
- A clear route for emergency vehicles
Avoid steep slopes, wet ground, narrow lanes and fields beside busy farm operations.
Do not place guests beside slurry stores, open water, working yards or electric fences.
Check the field against planning maps before you make an offer or buy equipment. Review:
- Flood zones
- Listed buildings
- Scheduled monuments
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Special Areas of Conservation
- Special Protection Areas
- Ramsar sites
- National Parks and National Landscapes
- Nearby homes
Use the Environment Agency flood map and speak to your local planning authority.
England: use Class BC for temporary campsites
In England, Class BC under Part 4 of the General Permitted Development Order can allow a temporary recreational campsite.
Class BC allows:
- Up to 60 days in one calendar year
- Up to 50 pitches
- Tents
- Motorhomes and campervans
- Moveable structures needed for the site
- Toilets and waste facilities
Regular touring caravans are not covered by Class BC. Static caravans are not covered either.
Class BC does not apply on certain sensitive land. Check the exclusions before relying on it. The Planning Geek Class BC guide provides the main conditions and statutory wording.
What you must do in England
Notify your local planning authority in writing before the campsite opens each year.
Send:
- A site plan
- Pitch locations
- Toilet arrangements
- Waste arrangements
- Dates of use
If the site sits in Flood Zone 2 or 3, apply for prior approval before opening.
Your application needs a site-specific flood risk assessment. Include warning and evacuation arrangements.
The authority has 56 days to decide. Do not start until approval arrives or the 56-day period ends without a decision.
The 56-day period is the planning decision period. It is not an extra 56 camping days.
What happened to the 28-day rule in England?
Do not use the old 28-day camping advice for a normal campsite in England.
The previous temporary camping right ended for ordinary camping in 2024. In 2026, non-festival camping normally needs Class BC or full planning permission.
Class B still has a limited role for temporary land use, including some festival-related camping. It is not the route for a standard farm campsite.
Wales: Class BA and the 100m buffer
Wales introduced Class BA for temporary recreational campsites from 1 June 2026.
At the time of writing, Class BA allows:
- Up to 60 days per calendar year in most areas
- Up to 28 days in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites
- Tents
- Motorhomes and campervans
- Moveable campsite structures
The former 28-day camping allowance under Class B ended on 1 September 2026.
Read the Welsh Government guidance for temporary campsites and check the Class BA legislation.
Clear the 100m buffer in Wales
Class BA does not permit campsite use within 100 metres of a protected dwelling.
A protected dwelling means a house or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator.
Measure the distance from the dwelling to the proposed campsite area. Include:
- Tents
- Motorhomes
- Pitches
- Toilets
- Waste facilities
- Other campsite areas
Move the campsite outside the 100m zone.
You may use a private way within the buffer where you have a legal right to use that access route. The access track does not remove the buffer for camping. Do not place pitches or facilities inside it.
If the whole field sits inside the buffer, Class BA will not cover the campsite. Consider a different field or apply for full planning permission.
Prior approval cannot override the 100m restriction.
Wales prior approval: follow the two-stage process
Apply to your local planning authority before starting the campsite each year.
First, ask the authority to determine whether prior approval is required for:
- Toilets and wastewater
- Waste disposal
- Vehicle access
If the authority requires prior approval, submit the full information before opening.
Prepare:
- A location plan
- A detailed site plan
- Pitch numbers and positions
- Access and parking details
- Toilet and wastewater information
- Waste collection arrangements
- Flood information
- A description of the operating dates
- A plan showing the 100m buffer
- Evidence of legal access
Keep a copy of every submission and decision.
Class BA also has exclusions. Check flood zones, designated land, listed buildings, scheduled monuments and protected ecological sites. Static caravans are not covered.
Planning permission, licences and certificates are different
Do not treat one approval as a replacement for another.
You may need:
- Planning permission or permitted development compliance
- Prior approval
- A campsite or caravan site licence
- Public liability insurance
- Waste arrangements
- Fire safety controls
- Building regulations approval for fixed structures
- Environmental permits for certain drainage systems
Class BC or Class BA deals with planning. It does not automatically remove licensing duties.
For tent-only sites, licensing thresholds can include 42 consecutive days and 60 days in a 12-month period. Campervans and motorhomes normally fall under caravan site licensing rules.
Read the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, then check your council’s licensing team.
An exemption certificate may help in some cases. It must match the organisation, site use and membership conditions. Do not assume that a certificate covers planning, licensing and safety at the same time.
See Open Sky Adventure’s land and licensing guidance and legal information.
Cost and income expectations
Start with a basic model.
A low-cost pilot may need:
- Site survey and plans
- Planning or legal advice
- Portable toilets
- Waste bins and collection
- Entrance signs
- Track repairs
- Fencing or pitch markers
- Insurance
- Booking software
- Cleaning and maintenance
A simple pilot may cost several thousand pounds. A serviced site with electric hook-ups, drainage, hardstanding and fixed facilities can cost tens of thousands of pounds.
Get three quotes. Separate one-off costs from seasonal costs.
Use this income model:
Pitches × operating days × occupancy × average nightly price = gross pitch income
Example one:
- 10 pitches
- 150 operating days
- 50% occupancy
- £25 average nightly price
Gross income: £18,750.
Example two:
- 20 pitches
- 180 operating days
- 55% occupancy
- £30 average nightly price
Gross income: £59,400.
These figures are not forecasts. Test them against local competition, access, facilities and demand.
Basic farm pitches may charge around £15 to £25 per night. Electric pitches may reach £25 to £45 or more, depending on location and season.
Pitchup reports average additional pitch income of around £13,000 for farmers, with some sites earning much more. Treat this as an industry benchmark, not a promise. Read the Pitchup farm income information.
Subtract:
- Cleaning
- Utilities
- Waste collection
- Repairs
- Insurance
- Booking fees
- Staff time
- Tax
- Professional advice
- Equipment replacement
A compliant campsite action plan
1. Define the offer
Choose tents, campervans or both. Set the pitch number. Set the season. Decide whether you need electric hook-ups.
Start small.
2. Test the field
Map access, drainage, flood risk, neighbours, designations and services. In Wales, mark the 100m buffer before you design the pitches.
3. Confirm the planning route
Use Class BC in England where the conditions fit. Use Class BA in Wales where the conditions fit. Apply for full planning permission where you exceed the limits or need permanent facilities.
4. Contact the local authority
Ask planning and licensing teams for written guidance. Confirm the documents, fees, deadlines and local requirements.
5. Build the compliance pack
Prepare the site plan, pitch plan, dates, access plan, toilet plan, waste plan, flood information and emergency arrangements.
6. Submit before opening
Notify in England. Apply for the required determination and prior approval in Wales. Do not open while an approval is outstanding.
7. Arrange insurance and licences
Confirm cover for guests, staff, vehicles, water, fire and campsite activities. Obtain the correct licence or certificate.
8. Operate and record
Track opening dates, bookings, occupancy, incidents, inspections, waste collections and maintenance. Keep the site within its approved limits.
9. Review after the season
Calculate gross income, net income, staff time, complaints, repairs and repeat demand. Then decide whether to stay small, expand or apply for full planning permission.
Make your next move
Farm diversification camping can turn unused land into a controlled seasonal income stream. Plan the field first. Use the correct planning route. Keep licensing separate. Start with a manageable number of pitches.
Visit Open Sky Adventure to join the group and sign up.
Unlock your land and explore the licensing route.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.