Meta description: Prepare your 2026 campsite paperwork with this guide to Class BC in England, Class BA in Wales, site plans, drainage, access, neighbour evidence and the 100-metre buffer.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Prepare the documents first.
Check the correct planning route.
Do not take bookings until you confirm the rules.
This guide covers the 28-day rule, Class BC in England, Class BA in Wales, the Welsh 100-metre buffer, site plans, drainage, access and neighbour consultation evidence.
This is general information. It is not legal advice. Check your local planning authority, licensing team and insurer before you open.
Start with the correct 2026 campsite route
England and Wales use different rules.
| Location | Main permitted development class | Annual limit | Prior approval trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Class BC | Up to 60 days | Flood Zone 2 or 3 |
| Wales | Class BA | Up to 60 days in many areas | The council may require it |
| Wales protected landscapes | Class BA | Up to 28 days | The council may require it |
Read the England Class BC legislation.
Read the Welsh Government temporary campsite guidance.
What happened to the 28-day rule?
The old 28-day rule is not one simple UK-wide campsite rule.
In England, ordinary camping cannot rely on the general Class B temporary-use right. Class BC is the specific route for a temporary recreational campsite.
Class BC allows up to 60 days per calendar year, subject to its limits and conditions.
In Wales, camping moved from the old Class B route into Class BA from 1 September 2026.
Class BA allows up to 60 days in many locations.
The limit remains 28 days in a National Park, National Landscape or World Heritage Site.
Check for local restrictions. An Article 4 Direction can remove permitted development rights.
Build your core document pack
Prepare one folder before you contact the council.
Include:
- Land ownership details
- A site location plan
- A detailed campsite layout plan
- Proposed operating dates
- Pitch numbers
- Toilet and wastewater details
- Waste storage and collection details
- Access and parking information
- Flood risk information
- Drainage details
- Nearby dwelling information
- Environmental and heritage checks
- Neighbour communication records
- Health and safety documents
- Licensing and insurance records
Use consistent site names and dates on every document.
Make sure the plan matches the written description.
Do not show ten pitches on the plan and describe twelve pitches in the form.
Prepare the site plan before the application
Your site plan is the main evidence document.
Use a recognised scale.
Add a north arrow.
Show the full area used by the campsite.
Mark:
- The site boundary
- Every pitch
- Pitch numbers
- Toilets
- Showers
- Wastewater storage
- Waste bins
- Water points
- Fire points
- Guest parking
- Turning areas
- Emergency access
- Farm access
- Public rights of way
- Nearby dwellings
- Field boundaries
- Watercourses
- Flood zones
- Drainage features
- Access from the public highway
- The proposed operating dates
Show measurements where they matter.
Add a short plan key.
Use colours consistently.
A council officer should understand the site without visiting first.
Map the Welsh 100-metre buffer
The 100-metre rule applies to Class BA in Wales.
Class BA cannot be used on land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except for the use of a private way.
A protected dwelling normally means a dwelling occupied by someone who is not the campsite owner or operator.
Check every nearby home.
Measure from the dwelling to the proposed campsite land.
Show the buffer on your plan.
Keep the following outside it:
- Tent pitches
- Campervan pitches
- Guest parking
- Toilets
- Showers
- Waste storage
- Wastewater facilities
- Reception areas
- Seating areas
- Other campsite facilities
A private access route may pass through the buffer where you have a legal right to use it.
Do not use that route as a camping area.
The 100-metre restriction is a limitation on the right itself.
Prior approval cannot override it.
If the proposed campsite land sits within the buffer, explore a full planning application instead.
Is there a 100-metre rule in England?
Not as a national Class BC requirement.
England’s Class BC rules do not include the Welsh protected-dwelling buffer.
You should still map nearby homes.
Use the plan to show noise, lighting, traffic, privacy and access controls.
Treat the 100-metre distance as a Welsh Class BA check, not an England Class BC rule.
Prepare drainage and wastewater evidence
Councils will want to understand how you will protect land, water and neighbours.
Show where wastewater will go.
Explain how you will prevent:
- Surface water pollution
- Sewage leaks
- Overflow
- Mud on the highway
- Wastewater entering streams
- Waste storage near homes
- Flooding around facilities
Your pack may include:
- A drainage sketch
- Existing ditches and watercourses
- Slopes and low points
- Toilet locations
- Wastewater tank locations
- Storage capacity
- Emptying arrangements
- Contractor details
- Collection dates
- Spill response steps
- Emergency contact details
Do not install permanent drainage, hardstanding or fixed buildings under the assumption that campsite permitted development covers them.
Temporary campsite rights do not automatically authorise permanent works.
Ask the council before installing:
- New tracks
- Hardstanding
- Permanent toilets
- Fixed shower blocks
- New buildings
- New drainage systems
- New highway accesses
England: prepare for Class BC prior approval
Class BC can allow:
- Up to 60 days per calendar year
- Up to 50 pitches
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite
You must provide on-site toilet and waste disposal facilities.
You must notify the local planning authority before the campsite starts in each calendar year.
Include:
- The site plan
- Toilet and waste facility details
- Proposed dates
- Pitch numbers
- Access arrangements
- Any supporting plans
If the site is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, prior approval is required.
Prepare:
- A site-specific flood risk assessment
- Warning arrangements
- Evacuation arrangements
- Safe access and exit details
- Details of temporary facilities
- The required fee
The legislation requires the council to consult the Environment Agency.
Development must not start before written prior approval, or before the relevant statutory period expires without the council issuing its decision.
Check the full Class BC procedure before you apply.
Wales: prepare for Class BA
Submit the Welsh determination form before the campsite begins.
Use the Welsh Class BA form.
Include:
- The site address
- A clear site description
- Grid references where available
- The annual operating dates
- The relevant day limit
- The site boundary
- Pitch locations
- Toilet and wastewater arrangements
- Waste arrangements
- Highway access
- Parking
- Nearby dwellings
- The 100-metre buffer
- Relevant environmental designations
The council should decide whether prior approval is required.
If it requires prior approval, provide the requested details.
Wait for the written decision.
Do not change the access, pitch numbers or wastewater method without checking the process again.
A material change may require a new notification.
Prepare access and traffic evidence
Access is a key concern for farms, pubs and hotels.
Show how guests will enter.
Show how they will leave.
Explain how vehicles will turn.
Include:
- The public highway
- Site entrance
- Gate width
- Visibility
- Internal routes
- Parking spaces
- Turning areas
- Emergency access
- Delivery access
- Pedestrian routes
- Waiting areas
Prevent queues from forming on the highway.
Keep check-in vehicles off the road.
Separate guest routes from livestock and machinery where possible.
If you use a narrow farm track, explain how you will manage passing points and arrival times.
Do not create a new access without checking whether separate permission is needed.
Keep neighbour consultation evidence
Neighbour consultation may not be a complete statutory requirement for every Class BC or Class BA submission.
It is still useful evidence.
Contact nearby residents before you submit.
Keep:
- The date of contact
- The address contacted
- The information provided
- Any concerns raised
- Your response
- Agreed quiet hours
- A complaints contact
- Any changes made to the layout
Explain:
- The operating dates
- The number of pitches
- Arrival times
- Parking arrangements
- Fire rules
- Waste arrangements
- Lighting controls
- Quiet hours
- Emergency contact details
Do not claim that neighbour support replaces planning approval.
It does not.
Use it to show that you have considered local impact.
Farmers, pubs and hotels: check the operating model
Farmers
Protect livestock areas.
Separate guests from machinery.
Mark unsafe zones.
Plan waste collections around farm traffic.
Keep emergency access clear.
Pubs
Check whether the camping field sits outside the building’s curtilage.
Explain guest access.
Control late-night noise.
Separate campsite facilities from beer gardens and service areas.
Check alcohol, food and licensing duties.
Hotels
Check whether the land is suitable for temporary camping.
Keep guest routes clear.
Avoid conflict with hotel parking.
Coordinate reception, deliveries and campsite arrivals.
Do not assume that hotel land automatically qualifies.
The planning status of the land still matters.
Check licences, insurance and safety duties
Permitted development rights do not remove other legal duties.
Ask your local authority about:
- A campsite licence
- Caravan legislation
- Environmental health
- Waste collection
- Food and alcohol licensing
- Fire safety
- Public liability insurance
- Employer duties
- Water and sewage requirements
All tented sites must be checked against the relevant licensing thresholds.
Keep your risk assessment current.
Record incidents and complaints.
Provide emergency information to guests.
Use the Open Sky Adventure legal resources as part of your preparation, then confirm the position with the relevant authority.
Use this final application checklist
Before you submit, confirm that you have:
- Identified England or Wales
- Chosen Class BC or Class BA
- Checked the 28-day or 60-day limit
- Checked Article 4 Directions
- Checked planning conditions
- Checked protected landscapes
- Checked Flood Zones 2 and 3
- Checked heritage and ecological designations
- Mapped nearby dwellings
- Applied the Welsh 100-metre buffer where required
- Drawn the site plan
- Listed all pitches
- Shown toilets and wastewater
- Explained drainage
- Shown waste storage
- Explained access and parking
- Prepared flood risk evidence where required
- Recorded neighbour communication
- Checked licensing
- Checked insurance
- Set up an annual operating calendar
Open only when the route is confirmed.
Join the Open Sky Adventure group
Use the correct documents.
Protect your land.
Keep the site within the rules.
Build a campsite that works for guests, neighbours and your business.
Read our guide, From Farm to Campsite: How to Navigate 100m Buffers and Prior Approval in 2026.
Then join the Open Sky Adventure community and contact our team.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
