Meta description: Understand camping legislation UK 2026, including the historic 28-day rule, England’s Class BC temporary campsite 60 days rule, Wales’s Class BA route, prior approval and licensing.
Hello, farmer, pub owner, hotel operator or rural landowner.
Your spare field may support camping.
Check the rules first.
In 2026, England and Wales use different permitted development routes for temporary campsites.
England uses Class BC.
Wales uses Class BA.
The old 28-day rule still matters, but it is no longer the main route for ordinary temporary camping.
This guide explains the difference in plain English.
It also shows what to check before you advertise pitches or take bookings.
This article gives general information. It is not legal advice. Confirm your position with your local planning authority, licensing team and insurer.
The short answer
In England, Class BC can allow a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days per calendar year, with up to 50 pitches at any one time, subject to the rules.
In Wales, Class BA can allow a temporary recreational campsite for up to 60 days per calendar year outside designated landscapes.
The Welsh limit is generally 28 days per calendar year in National Parks, National Landscapes and World Heritage Sites.
Both routes have conditions.
Wales also has an annual determination and prior approval process.
The historic 28-day rule is a separate general temporary land-use right.
Do not assume it gives you an extra 28 days of camping.
What was the historic 28-day rule?
The historic rule sits under Part 4, Class B of the relevant General Permitted Development Order.
It allows temporary use of land for up to 28 days in a calendar year.
Moveable structures may also be allowed where they support that temporary use.
The rule has often been used for:
- Temporary events
- Markets
- Car parks
- Outdoor activities
- Agricultural diversification
It is not a simple campsite licence.
In England, ordinary recreational camping is excluded from the general Class B route, apart from narrow festival-related circumstances.
From September 2026, Wales also uses a dedicated Class BA route for temporary recreational campsites.
So do not use Class B as a shortcut.
Choose the campsite class that applies to your land.
England: Class BC and the temporary campsite 60 days rule
Class BC is the main permitted development route for temporary recreational campsites in England.
It can allow:
- Up to 60 days in one calendar year
- Up to 50 pitches at any one time
- Tents
- Motorhomes and campervans designed or adapted for human habitation
- Moveable structures reasonably needed for the campsite
The 60 days do not need to be consecutive.
You can spread them across the year.
However, the limit applies to the land or planning unit.
Moving campers between fields does not create a new 60-day allowance.
Keep one record for the whole campsite operation.
What must you do before opening?
You must notify the local planning authority before the campsite use begins in each calendar year.
Your notification should cover:
- The site location
- Site boundaries
- Operating dates
- Pitch locations
- Access arrangements
- Toilets
- Waste disposal facilities
- Emergency access
Use exact dates.
Do not write “during summer”.
Keep a copy of your notice, site plan and submission receipt.
Flood risk and site restrictions
Class BC is not a permanent campsite approval.
Check the site before you rely on it.
Review:
- Flood zones
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Scheduled monuments
- Listed buildings and their curtilage
- Safety hazard areas
- Military explosives storage areas
- Article 4 Directions
- Planning conditions that remove permitted development rights
Flood Zone 2 or 3 may trigger a separate prior approval process.
Allow time for flood risk information and consultation.
Do not take bookings before you understand the process.
Read the England Class BC legislation and the official flood risk guidance.
Wales: Class BA and the prior approval route
Wales has a separate route under Class BA.
The Welsh rules apply from 1 September 2026.
Class BA covers temporary recreational campsites.
The standard annual limits are:
- Up to 60 days outside designated landscapes
- Up to 28 days in National Parks
- Up to 28 days in National Landscapes
- Up to 28 days in World Heritage Sites
The right is subject to exclusions and conditions.
It does not create permission for a permanent campsite.
The Welsh 100-metre buffer
Class BA generally cannot apply to land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, except for use as a private way.
This can affect:
- Farms beside cottages
- Pubs with nearby homes
- Hotels with neighbouring accommodation
- Rural land beside residential properties
Measure the distance on a scaled plan.
Do not measure only from the main building.
Check every dwelling near the proposed pitches.
Also check land affected by:
- Flood Zones 2 and 3
- Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- Special Areas of Conservation
- Special Protection Areas
- Ramsar sites
- Listed buildings
- Scheduled monuments
- Safety hazard areas
- Military explosives storage areas
- Article 4 Directions
Use the Welsh Class BA legislation and the Welsh Government temporary campsite guidance.
How prior approval works in Wales
You must apply to the local planning authority each year for a determination of whether prior approval is required.
Do this before you start the campsite use.
The authority may consider:
- Traffic
- Highway safety
- Access
- Flooding
- Biodiversity
- Noise
- Waste
- Foul drainage
- Privacy
- Lighting
- Landscape
- Heritage
Traffic can trigger the prior approval stage.
This may happen where the campsite is likely to create a material increase in traffic or a material change in traffic character.
Do not start until the process allows you to start.
Allow at least 28 days for the initial determination stage.
The plain-English comparison
| Question | Historic 28-day rule | England Class BC | Wales Class BA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main use | General temporary land use | Temporary recreational campsite | Temporary recreational campsite |
| Annual limit | 28 days | 60 days | 60 days in most areas, 28 days in designated landscapes |
| Normal camping allowed? | Not generally in England | Yes, if the conditions are met | Yes, if the conditions are met |
| Pitch limit | No general campsite limit under this rule | Up to 50 pitches at one time | Check the Class BA wording and site impacts |
| Notification | Depends on the applicable right | Annual notification before use | Annual determination process |
| Prior approval | Not usually the campsite route | May apply for specific matters, including flood risk | May be required, especially where traffic impacts are material |
| Welsh 100m buffer | No | No national buffer | Applies around protected dwellings |
| Permanent campsite? | No | No | No |
| Site licence check | Still separate | Still separate | Still separate |
The key point is simple.
Do not add 28 days to 60 days.
In England, the normal planning route for temporary camping is Class BC.
In Wales, use Class BA and follow the Welsh process.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Treating 28 days as 28 camping days
Do not rely on the historic rule for ordinary camping in England.
Check Class BC.
2. Adding the limits together
Do not run 60 days under Class BC and then add 28 days under Class B.
The rules do not work that way.
3. Resetting the clock by moving fields
The allowance applies to the land or planning unit.
Field rotation does not create extra days.
4. Ignoring the Welsh buffer
Do not place Welsh pitches within the 100-metre protected dwelling buffer.
Map the site first.
5. Assuming planning permission covers licensing
Permitted development and site licensing are separate.
You may need both.
6. Installing permanent structures
Class BC and Class BA support temporary campsite use.
They do not automatically approve permanent toilet blocks, roads, hardstanding or accommodation.
7. Taking bookings too early
Check the planning route, notification, prior approval, insurance and licensing position first.
Planning permission and site licensing are different
A permitted development right deals with planning control.
It does not remove other legal duties.
Check whether you need:
- A campsite licence
- A caravan site licence
- Public liability insurance
- Fire safety controls
- Waste arrangements
- Foul drainage arrangements
- Environmental permits
- Food business registration, where relevant
Tent camping can trigger licensing requirements based on the length and pattern of use.
Motorhomes and caravans can involve separate rules.
Speak to your local authority before opening.
Practical next steps for landowners
Start with one field.
Then take these steps:
- Confirm whether the land is in England or Wales.
- Check the planning unit and ownership boundary.
- Map nearby homes, roads, watercourses and protected sites.
- Check flood risk.
- Choose the correct permitted development class.
- List the proposed operating dates.
- Count the full annual allowance.
- Prepare a site plan.
- Show pitches, access, toilets, waste and emergency routes.
- Contact the local planning authority.
- Contact the licensing team.
- Tell your insurer about the proposed campsite.
- Keep one compliance file.
- Record every operating day.
For pubs and hotels, check whether the proposed campsite is separate from the existing business use.
Check shared toilets, parking, drainage and access capacity.
For farmers, separate campers from livestock.
Protect gates, water points and emergency routes.
Keep the layout simple.
Get help with licensed camping
Your land may support a temporary campsite.
Start with the correct rule.
Plan the dates.
Check the site.
Keep clear records.
Open Sky Adventure helps farmers, pubs, hotels and rural landowners assess camping opportunities, prepare operating plans and explore licensed camping options.
Read Unlock Your Land and Potential.
Then join the group and sign up on the Open Sky Adventure website.
We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.