Meta description: Understand the 28-day rule, Class BC camping England, Class BA camping Wales, free camping with a meal, prior approval, licensing and legal routes for pubs, hotels and farmers in 2026.
Hello, pub owner, hotel operator, farmer or rural landowner.
Your land may suit camping.
Your car park may suit motorhome stopovers.
Your pub may want to offer free camping with a meal.
Check the rules first.
The offer does not change the law.
Quick answer: can you offer pub stopovers or free camping?
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Can you offer camping for up to 28 days? | Often, if the relevant permitted development conditions apply. |
| Does a free pitch with dinner avoid planning rules? | No. Sleeping guests still create a camping or caravan site use. |
| Can England use a temporary campsite for 60 days? | Yes, through Class BC, subject to its conditions. |
| Can Wales use a temporary campsite for 60 days? | Often, through Class BA, subject to prior approval, site limits and no fixed 30-pitch cap in the current Class BA wording. |
| Does Class B add extra camping days in England? | No. Class B covers other temporary uses. |
| What if you want to operate beyond the limit? | Seek full planning permission and a site licence, or use a valid Paragraph 5 route. |
| Can Open Sky Adventure help? | Yes. We support eligible landowners through our exempted organisation route. |
What is the 28-day rule?
The 28-day rule is a permitted development route.
It allows certain temporary land uses without a full planning application.
For camping and caravans, it can allow land to host visitors for up to 28 days in a calendar year.
Count the days carefully.
Count every day when the land is used.
Do not count only booked nights.
Do not reset the count because the pitch is free.
Do not assume that a meal makes the stay part of the pub business only.
A customer who sleeps in a tent, motorhome or caravan is using the land for camping or caravan purposes.
Beyond the relevant temporary-use limit, you may be operating a caravan or camping site under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960.
Planning permission and site licensing are separate.
Check both.
“Free camping with a meal” still counts
A pub may advertise:
- Free camping with dinner.
- A motorhome stopover for food customers.
- A free pitch with breakfast.
- Overnight parking for hotel guests.
- A farm stay with a meal included.
The price does not decide the planning position.
The purpose and use of the land matter.
If guests stay overnight, the land may be used as a campsite or caravan site.
A free offer may still be part of a trading package.
Keep records.
Record arrival dates.
Record departure dates.
Record the type of unit.
Record the number of pitches.
Record any facilities provided.
This helps you show how the land was used.
Class BC camping in England
In England, the main temporary campsite route is Class BC.
The official Class BC legislation allows a temporary recreational campsite for:
- Up to 60 days in a calendar year.
- Up to 50 pitches.
- Tents, motorhomes and campervans.
- Temporary toilets and waste facilities.
Traditional touring caravans may fall outside the Class BC route.
Check the unit types before you advertise.
You must notify the local planning authority in writing before the first campsite use in that calendar year.
Include:
- Your name and address.
- The site location.
- Your operating dates.
- The number of pitches.
- Toilet arrangements.
- Waste disposal arrangements.
- A clear site plan, where required.
Check flood risk before you start.
If the land sits in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, prior approval may be required.
Check the local planning authority’s process.
Check emergency access.
Check evacuation arrangements.
Check drainage.
Class BC does not remove other duties.
You may still need a campsite licence, insurance, fire controls, environmental permits and waste arrangements.
Class B does not add more camping days
Class B covers other temporary uses.
It does not create extra camping days.
Do not add Class B days to Class BC days.
Do not use a temporary event label to extend a campsite season.
Use the correct planning route for the actual use.
Class BA camping in Wales
Wales has a separate route.
Class BA covers temporary recreational campsites.
The route allows up to 60 days in a calendar year on eligible land.
It also includes:
- A prior approval process.
- A 100-metre buffer from protected dwellings.
- Site and environmental checks.
- Limits in protected landscapes.
- Separate licensing requirements.
In National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites, the limit can remain 28 days.
Some early summaries mention 30 pitches.
The current Welsh Order does not set a 30-pitch limit in the Class BA wording.
Check the current Welsh legislation, the Welsh Government guidance, the local planning authority’s requirements, and any site licence conditions for pitch numbers.
Do not rely on a 30-pitch figure alone.
The 100m buffer zone in Wales
Class BA does not permit campsite development within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, subject to the detailed legal wording.
Start with a map.
Mark every nearby home.
Measure 100 metres from each relevant dwelling.
Remove restricted land from the campsite layout.
Do not place pitches inside the buffer.
Do not assume that a private lane solves the problem.
Ask the planning authority how it expects the measurement to be taken.
Keep the map with your records.
Prior approval campsite checks
Prior approval is not the same as full planning permission.
It is a planning control attached to permitted development.
You may need to submit details about:
- Site access.
- Highway safety.
- Toilets.
- Wastewater.
- Waste storage.
- Flood risk.
- Nearby homes.
- Protected landscapes.
- Operating dates.
- Pitch layout.
Apply before opening.
Record the submission date.
Keep the acknowledgement.
Wait for the correct notice.
Do not rely on silence without checking the statutory process.
What happens in protected areas?
Local restrictions can remove permitted development rights.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Article 4 Direction took effect in January 2026.
It removes automatic permitted development rights for temporary 28-day camping, caravan and mobile home sites across the National Park.
You need planning permission unless another legal route applies.
Check your exact site.
Eryri, formerly Snowdonia, has its own planning policies and supplementary planning guidance.
Its SPG states that the authority will not support new touring or camping sites.
That is policy guidance.
It is not the same as an Article 4 Direction.
It does not automatically remove every permitted development right.
Still check the local authority position before you advertise.
Two routes beyond the temporary limits
You have two main legal routes when the temporary limits do not meet your business plan.
1. Full planning permission and a site licence
Apply for planning permission for the proposed camping or caravan use.
Then check the separate licensing position.
You may need a caravan site licence under the 1960 Act.
You may also need:
- Environmental permits.
- Building control approval.
- Food registration.
- Fire safety controls.
- Public liability insurance.
- Private water checks.
- Waste carrier arrangements.
- Highway approval.
Plan the whole operation.
Do not treat planning permission as a complete operating licence.
2. Paragraph 5 certification
Paragraph 5 can exempt a site from the need for a caravan site licence.
The land must have a valid certificate from an exempted organisation.
No more than five caravans can be stationed for human habitation at one time.
The certificate normally applies to members and recreational use.
Paragraph 5 does not automatically grant planning permission.
Check planning separately.
Open Sky Adventure holds Welsh Government Exempted Organisation status valid throughout Wales.
This route can suit small sites, rural landowners, pubs and farms that want a controlled membership model.
Follow this checklist before opening
Step 1: Count your days
List every proposed operating date.
Include partial operating periods.
Keep one annual calendar.
Step 2: Map the land
Mark:
- Pitches.
- Dwellings.
- Roads.
- Access points.
- Watercourses.
- Toilets.
- Waste areas.
- Flood zones.
- Protected designations.
Step 3: Check your country
Use Class BC in England.
Use Class BA in Wales.
Check local rules in both.
Step 4: Check the 100m buffer
If you operate in Wales, measure the buffer from protected dwellings.
Redesign the site if needed.
Step 5: Check flood zones
Use the relevant flood maps.
Seek prior approval where required.
Step 6: Notify or apply
Notify the English planning authority for Class BC.
Apply through the Welsh prior approval process for Class BA.
Keep all documents.
Step 7: Check licensing
Contact the licensing team.
Ask about campsite and caravan site requirements.
Check the Paragraph 5 option if suitable.
Step 8: Check insurance
Speak to your insurer.
Cover camping, guests, vehicles, food, fire risks and activities.
Step 9: Keep the day log
Record every night.
Record every pitch.
Record every unit.
Stop before you reach the legal limit.
Make your pub stopover compliant
Start with a small layout.
Keep guests away from homes.
Use safe access.
Provide toilets.
Plan wastewater removal.
Store waste securely.
Set arrival and departure times.
Give guests written site rules.
Keep the pub offer separate from the planning assessment.
A meal can support your business.
It does not replace planning permission.
For help with land use and farm diversification, visit Unlock Your Land and Potential, read our legal information, and contact Open Sky Adventure.
Final answer
The 28-day rule is not a free pass.
Free camping with dinner still counts as camping use.
Class BC can support up to 60 days in England, subject to its conditions.
Class BA can support up to 60 days in Wales, subject to prior approval and site limits.
Protected areas may remain at 28 days.
Beyond the limit, use full planning permission and licensing, or explore a valid Paragraph 5 certification route.
Map the land.
Count the days.
Check the buffer.
Check flood risk.
Notify the authority.
Keep your records.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.