Meta description: Learn the 2026 prior approval process for temporary campsites under Class BC in England and Class BA in Wales, including flood zones, documents, deadlines and deemed approval.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner. Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Check the correct planning route first.
England and Wales use different permitted development rights in 2026.
- Class BC camping England applies in England.
- Class BA camping Wales applies in Wales.
- The temporary campsite 60 days rule is not the same in both countries.
- The old 28-day rule still matters, but not in the same way.
Use this guide to plan your application, prepare your documents and avoid delays.
Start with the correct permitted development right
Class BC camping England
Class BC allows you to use land as a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days in total in each calendar year.
You can provide:
- Up to 50 pitches
- Moveable structures needed for the campsite
- Tents, motorhomes and campervans, subject to the legal wording
Class BC does not allow every type of caravan. The legislation excludes caravans unless they are motor vehicles designed or adapted for human habitation.
You must also provide:
- On-site toilet facilities
- Waste-disposal facilities
- Written annual notification to the local planning authority
Read the Class BC legislation for temporary recreational campsites.
Class BA camping Wales
The Welsh Class BA right is due to apply from 1 September 2026.
It allows:
- Up to 60 days per calendar year on ordinary land
- Up to 28 days per calendar year in a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or World Heritage Site
- Moveable structures needed for the temporary campsite
Class BA does not apply to land in:
- Flood Zone 2 or 3
- A scheduled monument
- A Site of Special Scientific Interest
- A Ramsar site
- A Special Area of Conservation
- A Special Protection Area
- A safety hazard area
- A military explosives storage area
- The site of a listed building
It also excludes land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, subject to the specific legal exceptions.
Read Article 3 of the Welsh permitted development order.
When does prior approval apply in England?
Under Class BC, prior approval is triggered when the proposed campsite is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3.
You must apply to the local planning authority before you begin operating in each calendar year.
You cannot rely on the Class BC right until:
- The council gives written prior approval, or
- 56 days pass from the date the council receives the application without notifying you whether approval is granted or refused.
This is the English 56-day deemed approval period.
The council must consult the Environment Agency. The consultation response period must be at least 21 days.
Do not start counting from the date you post your application. Use the date the local planning authority confirms receipt.
Ask for:
- A receipt
- A validation confirmation
- The application reference
- The date the 56-day period begins
Keep each response.
The England Class BC prior approval process
Step 1: Check the flood zone
Use the relevant flood mapping service.
Confirm whether the camping area falls within Flood Zone 1, 2 or 3.
Do not assume the whole farm has the same status. A field may differ from another field on the same holding.
If the site is in Flood Zone 1, Class BC prior approval is not normally triggered. You still need to meet the other Class BC conditions.
If the site is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, prepare the prior approval application before booking guests.
Step 2: Prepare the flood risk assessment
Your application must include a site-specific flood risk assessment.
Keep it practical.
Show:
- Flood sources
- The areas at risk
- The campsite layout
- Pitch locations
- Access and exit routes
- Warning arrangements
- Evacuation arrangements
- Emergency contacts
- How guests will receive instructions
- How the site will close during a flood warning
Link the assessment to the actual site plan.
Do not submit a generic report that does not explain how guests leave the land.
Step 3: Prepare the site plan
Use a clear, scaled plan.
Mark:
- The application boundary
- Pitches
- Toilets
- Waste points
- Water points
- Vehicular access
- Parking
- Emergency access
- Walking routes
- Nearby watercourses
- Flood-prone areas
- Evacuation routes
- Any neighbouring homes or sensitive land
The council must understand how the site will work from the plan alone.
Step 4: Submit the application and fee
Send the application to the correct local planning authority.
Include the required fee.
Name every document clearly.
Use a file list.
Ask the council to confirm that the application is valid and complete.
Step 5: Wait for the decision
The council may:
- Grant prior approval
- Refuse prior approval
- Ask for more information
- Allow the 56-day period to expire
If the council gives written approval, follow every condition.
If 56 days expire without the council notifying you whether approval is given or refused, development may proceed under the Class BC rules, subject to all other limits and conditions.
Do not treat silence as permission if the council has already issued a formal refusal or another notice. Check the written record.
The annual England notification
Class BC requires written notification before the campsite starts in each calendar year.
Send the notification before opening.
Include:
- Your name and contact details
- The site address
- A site plan
- Toilet arrangements
- Waste-disposal arrangements
- The dates the site will be in use
This notification applies even when prior approval is not required.
The council may pass the notice to the fire and rescue authority.
Keep a copy of the notification and proof of delivery.
Use one annual compliance folder.
The Class BA process in Wales
Wales uses a different process.
Before starting the development in each calendar year, you must make a determination application.
This asks the council whether prior approval is required.
The first application is not the same as a full prior approval application.
Step 1: Check the 28-day or 60-day limit
Use the 60-day limit if the land is outside the protected landscapes listed in Class BA.
Use the 28-day limit if the land is within:
- A National Park
- An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- A World Heritage Site
The 28-day limit is an operating limit.
It is separate from the Welsh council’s 28-day response period.
Step 2: Complete the determination application
Your application must include a site plan with:
- Toilet and wastewater facilities
- Waste-disposal facilities
- Pitch and amenity locations
- Access from the highway
- Operating dates
Include the required fee.
Use the Welsh Government temporary recreational campsite determination form.
Step 3: Wait 28 days
The local planning authority has 28 days from receipt.
It must issue:
- Written notice that prior approval is not required
- Written notice that prior approval is required
- A notice that the application is invalid or does not comply
If 28 days expire without one of those notices, you may proceed as if prior approval is not required.
Operate in line with the submitted site plan and particulars.
Step 4: Respond if prior approval is required
The council must require prior approval if it believes the development is likely to cause a material increase in traffic or a material change in the character of traffic nearby.
If the council says prior approval is required:
- Submit the separate prior approval application.
- Provide the information the council reasonably requests.
- Address transport and highway impacts.
- Respond to consultation points.
- Wait for written prior approval.
- Follow any conditions.
Do not open while that second application is pending.
What documents should you prepare?
Build the pack before you submit.
Core documents
Prepare:
- Location plan
- Detailed site plan
- Pitch schedule
- Operating date schedule
- Toilet and wastewater plan
- Waste-disposal plan
- Vehicular access plan
- Parking plan
- Emergency access plan
- Contact details for the operator
Extra documents for England Flood Zones 2 and 3
Add:
- Site-specific flood risk assessment
- Flood warning procedure
- Evacuation plan
- Guest communication procedure
- Closure procedure
- Emergency vehicle access details
Keep the documents consistent.
Your pitch numbers must match the plan.
Your operating dates must match the notification.
Your evacuation route must remain clear on the ground.
How to respond when the council requests more information
Act quickly.
First, check whether the request is:
- A validation request
- An informal information request
- A consultation response
- A formal refusal
- A request linked to prior approval
Ask the council to confirm this in writing.
Then prepare a short response table.
| Council point | Your response | Revised document |
|---|---|---|
| Waste location unclear | Added waste point to plan | Site plan, revision 2 |
| Access width unclear | Added measurements and photographs | Access plan |
| Evacuation route unclear | Added route and assembly point | Flood risk assessment |
Submit one complete response.
Do not send scattered documents across several emails.
Ask the council to confirm:
- The application remains valid
- The application is now complete
- The relevant determination date
- The relevant 56-day or 28-day deadline
- Any further information still required
A request for information does not always reset the statutory clock in the same way. Do not guess. Get the council’s position in writing.
Do not confuse planning with site licensing
Permitted development rights answer one question:
Do you need planning permission for the proposed temporary use?
Site licensing answers another:
Do you need a licence to operate the camping or caravan site?
Check both.
Also check:
- Building regulations
- Environmental health
- Fire safety
- Drinking water
- Sewage and wastewater
- Public rights of way
- Nature conservation
- Insurance
- Local restrictions
- Article 4 directions
The Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 may also be relevant.
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, pubs, hotels and landowners plan licensed camping with clear documents, site controls and practical compliance support. Start with our legal guidance, review your land diversification options and contact the onboarding team.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.