Hello, landowner. Welcome to your new revenue stream. Use your land, generate profit, follow the law.
England changed the rules. You can now host a temporary campsite for 60 days. This is Class BC of the GPDO. It is a powerful tool for your business. No full planning permission is needed.
Follow this guide, stay compliant, start your camping adventure uk now.
The 60-Day Rule Explained
You have 60 days per calendar year. You can host up to 50 pitches. Tents are allowed, motorhomes are allowed, campervans are allowed. Caravans are not allowed.
This right sits under Class BC. It is not a free-for-all. You must follow the class conditions every year you operate.
The key legal controls sit in the Class BC conditions, especially BC.2 and BC.3. In simple terms, BC.2 is about what you must submit and when. BC.3 is about where prior approval is needed before the 60-day right can be used. If your site triggers prior approval, do not trade first and ask later. Apply first.
You also need to track the 2026 amendment, S.I. 2026/313. This is the amendment that tightened the operating framework around temporary recreational campsites, annual notifications, and site-specific controls. Read the class with the amendment in mind. Do not rely on old summaries.
Keep your paperwork tight. Keep your dates clear. Keep your plan current.
Open Sky Adventure manages these details. We bring the expertise, we handle the logistics. We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
Essential Site Requirements
You must provide facilities. It is the law.
Toilets and Waste
Provide on-site toilets. Set up waste disposal. Use moveable structures, maintain hygiene, keep the land clean. These must be ready before guests arrive.
Annual Notification
Notify your Local Planning Authority (LPA). Do this in writing every year. Do not assume last year's notice carries forward. It does not.
Your annual notification should be clear and complete. Include the site address. Include the land edged or marked on a site plan. Show pitch areas. Show toilets. Show waste points. Show access and exit routes. List the exact dates you will operate. If your layout changes, update the plan. If your dates change, update the notice.
This annual notification point matters. It is one of the practical compliance steps landowners miss. The rule is simple. New calendar year, new notification, updated site plan.
Check our Legals page for more details.
Class BC Conditions: BC.2 and BC.3
This is where the law gets real.
BC.2
BC.2 is the working condition landowners need to respect before the site opens. It ties the 60-day right to advance notice and supporting information. That means your written notification is not a box-tick. It is part of the legal basis for using the right.
Expect BC.2 compliance to mean:
- written notice to the LPA before use starts
- the proposed dates of use in that calendar year
- a site plan showing the land and core layout
- details of toilet and waste arrangements
- enough information for the authority to understand how the site will operate
Miss key details, risk delay. Start operating without proper notice, risk enforcement.
BC.3
BC.3 is the trigger condition for prior approval in sensitive cases. The big one is flood risk. If the land is in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3, prior approval is needed before the temporary campsite use begins.
This is the point many operators get wrong. Class BC is still permitted development, but BC.3 can force a prior approval stage before the right can be used. So the right exists, but only if you pass the extra process where required.
If BC.3 applies, stop and apply. Do not market the dates as fixed until the process is done.
Navigating Flood Zones
Check your land's flood status. Use the official government maps.
If you are in Flood Zone 2 or 3, you need prior approval. This is not optional. It is the BC.3 trigger point.
Submit a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA). Show the flood risk. Show how people get warned. Show how people get out. Show where vehicles move. Show how the site can operate safely for temporary use. If your routes flood early, fix that in the application, not after.
The LPA has a 56-day decision window on the prior approval application. In practice, that means you should apply well before your intended opening date. If the authority needs more information, delay is your problem, not theirs.
Expect Environment Agency consultation in England where the flood risk issues require it. The LPA will usually screen the proposal against flood standing advice and consult where the site or risk profile triggers it. That can shape the result. A weak FRA, poor access plan, or no evacuation logic can sink the application.
Use this order:
- check the flood map
- confirm whether the land sits in Flood Zone 2 or 3
- prepare the FRA
- prepare the site plan
- submit prior approval
- wait for the 56-day decision
- operate only after the process is cleared
We help with these assessments. We ensure your family camping experiences uk are safe and legal.
Prior Approval in Practice
Here is the step-by-step process.
1. Check the planning status of the land
Confirm the land can use Class BC at all. Rule out restricted land. Rule out designations that block the right. Check flood zone status at the same time.
2. Mark the site on a plan
Prepare a clean site plan. Mark the camping area. Mark access. Mark toilets. Mark waste storage. Mark any vehicle circulation. Keep it simple. Keep it readable.
3. Fix your operating dates
Choose the exact 60-day operating window for the calendar year. Do not guess. Pick the dates you can actually manage.
4. Prepare the annual notification
Send written notice to the LPA with the site plan and the operating dates. Add the site management details. Add toilets and waste details.
5. Check if BC.3 prior approval is triggered
If the land is in Flood Zone 2 or 3, move to prior approval. If not, keep your record file complete and move to setup.
6. Prepare the Flood Risk Assessment
Your FRA should explain flood sources, likely depth or extent, warning systems, access and egress, and what happens if conditions change during occupation. Temporary camping still needs a proper safety case.
7. Submit the prior approval application
File the application with the LPA. Include the FRA and supporting plan set. Make sure names, dates, and plans all match.
8. Wait through the 56-day window
The authority has 56 days to decide the prior approval application. During that time the LPA may consult technical bodies, including the Environment Agency where required. If more information is requested, respond fast.
9. Do not open early
Do not take bookings that assume approval unless you make that clear. Do not open the field before the process is complete. Prior approval problems usually come from operators moving too fast.
10. Keep your compliance file
Store the notice, site plan, FRA, emails, decision notice, and final dates used. If enforcement questions come later, your file is your shield.
Prohibited Land Types
Some land cannot be used. Verify your designations.
- SSSIs: No campsites on Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Scheduled Monuments: Protect history, do not pitch here.
- Listed Buildings: Stay away from the curtilage.
- Safety Hazard Zones: Keep guests safe, avoid these areas.
If your land is clear, you are ready for adventure tourism uk.
The 100m Buffer: What This Means for Your Farm or Pub
This point matters most in Wales under Class BA.
The 100m buffer is tied to a protected dwelling test. In plain terms, if your proposed campsite land sits within 100 metres of a protected dwelling, the right is restricted. That means many farm corners, paddocks, pub meadows, and edge fields need measuring before you do anything else.
A protected dwelling means a dwellinghouse occupied by someone other than the person using the land for the campsite, or other than the landowner or operator in the narrow sense used by the class. So if the nearby house belongs to a neighbour, a tenant, or another unrelated occupier, treat it as protected unless your planning adviser confirms otherwise.
For farms, this can catch:
- cottages let to third parties
- converted barns occupied by others
- neighbouring houses across a hedge or lane
- tied dwellings not occupied by the campsite operator
For pubs, this can catch:
- nearby homes behind the beer garden
- flats above adjoining premises
- staff or tenant accommodation not occupied in the way the class allows
- houses on the edge of the car park or paddock
Do not estimate the 100 metres by eye. Measure it on a plan. If the site is in Wales, this is a serious screening point under Class BA. It can decide whether you can rely on permitted development at all.
Strategies for Profit
Diversify your income. Turn your field into a destination.
For Farmers
Use your least productive land. Host adventure weekends uk. It adds revenue without stopping your farm work. It is low investment and high reward.
For Pubs and Hotels
Offer a "wild" experience. Guests eat at your bar, they sleep in your meadow. It increases footfall, it fills tables, it creates memories.
Stacking Your Revenue: Combining 60-Day Camping with Other Permitted Uses
This is where smart operators think harder.
Class BC gives you the 60-day temporary campsite use. Separate permitted development rights can apply to other temporary uses of land, including Class B style 28-day temporary use arrangements for things like overflow parking or event parking, depending on the facts and the jurisdiction. The point is not to blur them. The point is to plan them properly.
You can sometimes layer revenue streams across the year by separating:
- the 60-day temporary campsite period under Class BC
- separate temporary use periods for parking or event support uses where another permitted right applies
- different parts of the holding, where the facts support distinct uses
Do this carefully. Do not double-count the same days without advice. Do not assume one class automatically expands another. Do not assume one field means one planning unit. Planning unit analysis matters.
For a farm, this can mean camping on one part of the land for the Class BC window, then using another area for seasonal parking tied to events, farm attractions, or peak visitor periods where the relevant right allows it.
For a pub, this can mean meadow camping for the 60-day window, with separate car park overflow planning on other dates where lawful temporary use rights exist.
The rule is simple. Stack lawfully, not casually.
Open Sky Adventure provides the gear. we provide professional guides, we handle safety. We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
Why Choose Open Sky Adventure?
We are the industry authority. We know the 60-day rule. We understand Class BC conditions, prior approval triggers, annual notification requirements, and the practical limits that catch landowners out.
Don't guess the law. Follow our lead. We offer expert local knowledge, we use top-quality equipment, we focus on safe outdoor activities near me.
Your land has potential. Unlock it now. Join our network, host unique outdoor adventures, earn more.
Final Steps to Launch
- Check designations: Confirm your land is not an SSSI.
- Verify Flood Zone: Apply for prior approval if needed.
- Plan layout: Map your 50 pitches and toilets.
- Notify Council: Send your written notice for 2026.
- Partner with us: Let us handle the details.
Now take this seriously. Check the class. Check the amendment. Check the flood map. Measure buffers. Prepare the plan. File the notice. Submit prior approval if BC.3 applies. Keep every document.
If you run a farm, pub, hotel, or rural business, this is a real income tool. But only if you use it properly. Bad assumptions cost time. Weak paperwork costs seasons. Poor planning costs revenue.
Let Open Sky Adventure help you set it up the right way. We can help you review the land, map the layout, structure the campsite model, and keep the operation aligned with the legal framework. We will happily help you, signup live now if you have an interest in joining our license agreement.
Get in touch today. Join the group, sign up on the website, and start your journey with Open Sky Adventure.
