Your 60-day right can now be withdrawn where you camp. Which Article 4 zones strip Class BC and Class BA in 2026, and what survives.
Hello, landowners and farmers. Check your field’s location before you plan a pop-up campsite season.
What an Article 4 Direction does
An Article 4 Direction withdraws a permitted development right in a defined area. It does not ban camping. It means you may need planning permission instead of relying on that right.
That boundary matters. A campsite rule can change between neighbouring fields. Check the map for your exact site, then read the direction and its dates.
The 2026 map: where the right stands
England outside an Article 4 area: Class BC remains
On ordinary land in England, Class BC allows a recreational campsite for up to 60 days in a calendar year, with no more than 50 pitches.
Before you start, notify your local planning authority in writing. Include a site plan, your use dates, and toilet and waste arrangements. Provide those facilities on site. Check the other limits too, including restrictions on caravans and sensitive or protected sites. Flood Zone 2 or 3 needs prior approval.
New Forest National Park: Class BC withdrawn
The New Forest National Park Authority confirmed an immediate, Park-wide Article 4 Direction on 12 February 2024. It removes Class BC rights across the Park. For most temporary campsite use, you need planning permission.
There is a narrow exception. Permission may not be needed if the land was first used as a temporary campsite before 1 March 2020, and the use stays within 28 days in the calendar year. Both conditions must apply. Read the New Forest pop-up campsite guidance before relying on it.
Lake District: Class BC still applies for now
The Lake District National Park Authority made its Article 4 Direction on 30 September 2026. It would withdraw Class BC rights for temporary recreational campsites across the Park.
The Direction is now in its notification and consultation stage. It is not yet in force. If confirmed, it is proposed to take effect on 1 March 2028. Until then, Class BC remains available, subject to its conditions and any other site restrictions.
This is the key Lake District date to plan around. Keep compliant records of your dates, facilities and notifications. See the Authority’s Article 4 Direction page.
Cornwall National Landscape: check the parcel
Cornwall Council has removed temporary campsite permitted development rights in some areas through Article 4 Directions. They affect parts of the Cornwall National Landscape, not the whole county.
Elsewhere, Class BC may still apply. But the boundary is parcel-specific. Use the Council’s Article 4 map and temporary campsite guidance before you book the season. In Cornwall, facilities left on the land count towards the 60-day limit, even when the site is empty.
Wales outside protected landscapes: Class BA allows 60 days
Wales has a different right. Under Class BA, ordinary land can be used as a recreational campsite for up to 60 days in a calendar year.
You must apply to the local planning authority for a determination each year before starting. Submit the site plan and details of dates, pitches, amenities, toilets, wastewater, waste and highway access. The authority has 28 days to respond. You cannot start until the rules allow you to do so.
Welsh protected landscapes: 28 days, with Prior Notification
In a National Park, National Landscape or World Heritage Site, the Class BA limit is 28 days. Prior Notification applies.
So, for a landowner searching “Class BA Wales 28 days national park,” the short answer is: 28 days in these designated areas, with the annual process completed before use. Restrictions also apply to specified protected sites, Flood Zones 2 and 3, land within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, and caravans other than motor vehicles designed or adapted for human habitation.
Pembrokeshire Coast: what you need to submit
Pembrokeshire Coast has an Article 4(1) Direction in effect from 1 January 2026. It changes how the camping right works in the Park. Landowners must use the Prior Notification process.
The campsite limit is 28 days. The Authority currently charges no fee and must respond within 28 days. Send your form to the Development Management Team, and include:
- A site location plan with the camping area outlined in red.
- Your dates of use.
- Pitch and amenity locations.
- Toilet and wastewater arrangements.
- Waste disposal details.
- Access details from the highway.
The Authority may require prior approval on toilets and wastewater, waste disposal or vehicle access. Check its full Pembrokeshire Coast campsite update.
Class BA does not permit touring caravans, static caravans or mobile homes. Motorhomes and campervans designed or adapted for human habitation are treated differently. The Article 4 Direction continues to remove rights for caravans and mobile homes outside Class BA, so planning permission may still be needed for them in the Park.
Wales transition dates: 1 June, then 1 September
The first phase of Wales’s new campsite rules began on 1 June 2026. The transition ended on 1 September 2026. Since then, all pop-up campsite operators must follow the new Class BA system.
That means an annual Prior Notification process across Wales, with a 60-day limit on ordinary land and 28 days in protected landscapes. In Pembrokeshire Coast, the Authority required notification during the transition too.
Check the Welsh Government form and guidance before submitting. The procedure and site restrictions differ from England.
Lake District deadline: make your views count
If you operate in the Lake District, send any representation about Direction 43 to planning@lakedistrict.gov.uk before 16 November 2026.
The proposed start date is 1 March 2028 if the Direction is confirmed. Until then, keep your Class BC records complete and follow the current rules. Find the notice and supporting papers on the Lake District Authority page.
Three ways to plan for what comes next
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Use the current route correctly. In the Lake District, keep a clean Class BC paper trail for any compliant seasons before 1 March 2028. Do not treat the proposed Direction as already in force.
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Consider a full planning application. If your plans exceed permitted development limits, prepare an application. The August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework includes policies relevant to farm diversification and rural tourism, including E4(1), E2(1) and S5(1)(b) and (c). These policies can inform an application; they do not guarantee permission. Start with our landowner guidance and legal information.
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Check other lawful routes. A club certificated site may offer a route for up to five vans under the relevant exemption. Check the current conditions for your site. This is a separate route, not a way around an Article 4 Direction.
Five checks before you book the season
- Map the boundary. Check whether your field sits in an Article 4 area. Ask the planning authority if the boundary is unclear.
- Confirm your right. Identify whether Class BC or Class BA applies, or whether you need planning permission.
- Count the days. Record dates of use and any days when temporary facilities remain on the land.
- Check the site limits. Review protected designations, flood risk, distance to protected dwellings, caravan rules, pitch limits and any existing planning conditions.
- Submit and save. File the required notice or Prior Notification before you start, keep copies of plans and decisions, and check any separate licence or safety requirements.
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