Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotelier, or landowner. Your unused field could create new income.
Start with the planning rules.
The key points are simple:
- England uses Class BC for temporary recreational campsites.
- Wales uses Class BA.
- Wales has a 100 metre buffer around protected dwellings.
- England has no equivalent 100 metre buffer under Class BC.
- The old 28-day rule is no longer a safe route for ordinary commercial camping.
- Prior approval depends on your location and site impacts.
- Planning rights do not replace campsite licensing.
Use this guide before you advertise pitches, accept bookings, or invest in facilities.
Important: Planning and licensing rules can change. Check your Local Planning Authority, licensing team, and professional adviser before you open.
Class BC England vs Class BA Wales
| Point | England | Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Main route | Class BC | Class BA |
| 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 | Check the current Class BA terms, plan for no more than 50 |
| 100m buffer | No general statutory buffer | Applies to protected dwellings |
| Annual process | Written notification | Determination application |
| Prior approval | Required for Flood Zones 2 and 3 | Required if the council says it is needed |
| Towed caravans | Not covered | Not covered |
Read the England Class BC legislation and the Wales Class BA legislation.
Understand the 28-day rule
The 28-day rule has caused confusion.
It is a permitted development right for temporary use of land. It has often been used for short camping trials.
Do not treat it as a blanket camping permission.
In England, ordinary recreational camping is no longer covered by the general Class B route. Class B is now linked to festival camping. Use Class BC for a normal temporary campsite.
Wales introduced Class BA for temporary recreational campsites in 2026. This is now the specific route to examine for a Welsh campsite.
Do not split a campsite across different fields to avoid the annual limit. The council may consider the wider operation.
Track every operating day from 1 January to 31 December. Do not count only booked nights. Count each day when the land is used as a campsite.
England: qualify under Class BC
Class BC allows temporary recreational camping in England for up to:
- 60 days in total each calendar year
- 50 pitches
- Tents, motorhomes, and campervans
The days do not need to run consecutively.
You can plan around:
- School holidays
- Bank holidays
- Weekend demand
- Local events
- Guided outdoor activities
- Seasonal farm diversification
Class BC allows moveable structures that are reasonably necessary for the campsite.
This can include:
- Portable toilets
- Temporary showers
- Handwashing points
- Waste facilities
- Reception shelters
- Temporary signs
Do not assume it covers permanent buildings, new hardstanding, fixed drainage, new roads, or permanent accommodation. These may need separate planning permission.
England notification requirements
Notify your Local Planning Authority in writing before the campsite starts each calendar year.
Your notice must include a site plan. Show:
- The field boundary
- Every pitch
- Site access
- Parking
- Emergency access
- Toilet facilities
- Waste-disposal facilities
- Operating dates
- Nearby hazards
Send the notice early.
Keep:
- The submitted notice
- The final site plan
- Proof of delivery
- Council correspondence
- Your operating day log
- Facility inspection records
Class BC does not apply to certain sensitive land. Check for:
- Scheduled monuments
- Safety hazard areas
- Military explosives storage areas
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Sites of listed buildings
Check for an Article 4 Direction too. This can remove permitted development rights in a local area.
The 100m buffer: Wales only under Class BA
The 100 metre buffer is a Welsh Class BA issue.
Class BC in England does not contain the same general protected dwelling buffer.
Under Class BA in Wales, you cannot use land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, subject to the statutory exceptions.
A protected dwelling normally means a house or flat occupied by someone other than the campsite owner or operator. Check the legislation for the exact definition.
Treat the buffer as a site design limit.
Map every dwelling near your proposed campsite. Use a scaled plan. Mark the full 100 metre zone. Keep pitches, facilities, parking, and campsite access outside the restricted area unless a legal exception applies.
Ask your LPA how it wants the distance measured. Use a conservative measurement. Do not rely on an informal estimate.
Practical strategies for farmers
Start with a land survey.
Mark:
- Every neighbouring dwelling
- Field boundaries
- Livestock areas
- Public rights of way
- Watercourses
- Steep ground
- Vehicle access
- Emergency routes
Remove the Welsh 100 metre buffer from your usable campsite area.
Then test the remaining land. Can it fit toilets, waste facilities, turning space, safe pitches, and emergency access?
If not, choose another field.
Do not force a poor layout. A smaller campsite in the right location is safer than a larger campsite beside a protected dwelling.
Practical strategies for pubs and hotels
Review the whole property.
Check:
- Guest cottages
- Staff housing
- Holiday lets
- Neighbouring homes
- Car parks
- Service yards
- Delivery routes
- Outdoor dining areas
Keep campsite access separate from pub or hotel traffic where possible.
Place waste collection points away from guest rooms and neighbouring homes. Set quiet hours. Control lighting. Keep emergency access clear.
Good management helps reduce complaints. It does not remove the legal buffer.
Wales: follow the Class BA process
Class BA allows temporary recreational camping in Wales for up to 60 days each calendar year on most land.
The limit is generally 28 days in:
- National Parks
- National Landscapes
- World Heritage Sites
Check your exact boundary. A site close to a designated area may need a different operating plan.
Class BA can cover tents, motorhomes, campervans, and moveable campsite facilities. Towed caravans are not covered by this route.
Stage one: submit a determination application
Apply to your LPA before you begin each year.
Include:
- A scaled site plan
- Pitch locations
- Toilet facilities
- Wastewater arrangements
- Waste-disposal facilities
- Highway access
- Parking
- Emergency access
- Operating dates
- The required fee
The council should respond within the relevant 28-day period.
It may decide that prior approval is not required.
It may also decide that prior approval is required. This can happen where the campsite may cause a material increase or material change in local traffic.
Use the Welsh Government determination guidance.
Stage two: apply for prior approval
If the council requires prior approval, submit the additional application.
The council may ask for information about:
- Traffic movements
- Highway safety
- Access width
- Turning areas
- Parking
- Waste collection
- Toilets
- Wastewater
- Site management
Do not open while the prior approval process is unresolved.
Do not assume silence means approval. Confirm that your application was valid, complete, and correctly submitted before relying on any time limit.
England prior approval: check flood risk
Class BC requires prior approval when proposed camping land sits within Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
Apply before the campsite starts in that calendar year.
Include:
- A site-specific Flood Risk Assessment
- Flood warning arrangements
- Evacuation arrangements
- A site plan
- Operating dates
- Facility details
- The required fee
The LPA must consult the Environment Agency.
The statutory decision period can run for up to 56 days. Do not open before written approval, or before the lawful decision period has expired without a decision, where the legislation allows that route.
Use the Planning Portal prior approval form.
Also check nutrient neutrality requirements, environmental designations, and local restrictions.
Keep planning and licensing separate
Permitted development rights deal with planning.
They do not remove other legal duties.
Check whether you need:
- A campsite licence
- A caravan site licence
- Public liability insurance
- Fire safety controls
- Waste contracts
- Water and wastewater approvals
- Food registration
- Electrical safety checks
- Outdoor activity risk assessments
- Public rights of way controls
A camping licence may be required if tents are pitched for more than 42 consecutive days or for more than 60 days in a calendar year.
Motorhomes and campervans can raise separate licensing issues. Ask your local licensing team before accepting bookings.
Read Open Sky Adventure’s legal guidance before you invest.
Build a compliant and profitable campsite
Start small.
Use 10 or 20 pitches first. Test demand. Track the results.
Forecast:
- Pitch numbers
- Operating days
- Occupancy
- Pitch price
- Toilet hire
- Waste collection
- Insurance
- Cleaning
- Staff time
- Maintenance
- Marketing
- Booking costs
- Tax
Add income through services that fit your permissions:
- Firewood
- Breakfast boxes
- Guided walks
- Wildlife sessions
- Equipment hire
- Group camping
- Team-building activities
- Local food partnerships
Keep every extra safe, insured, and lawful.
Your 2026 compliance checklist
Follow these steps:
- Confirm whether your land is in England or Wales.
- Check Class BC or Class BA eligibility.
- Review the 28-day rule position.
- Map dwellings and the Welsh 100 metre buffer.
- Check flood zones.
- Check environmental designations.
- Check Article 4 Directions.
- Set your operating dates.
- Stay within the pitch limit.
- Draw a scaled site plan.
- Arrange toilets and waste facilities.
- Submit the correct notification or determination application.
- Apply for prior approval when required.
- Confirm licensing and insurance.
- Keep every record.
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, pubs, hotels, and landowners plan licensed camping sites, create safe layouts, manage outdoor activities, and prepare for compliant operation.
Read our guide to farm diversification camping, explore how to unlock your land and potential, then contact Open Sky Adventure.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
Start with the map. Check the rules. Then open your campsite with control.