Pop-up campsite rules in England, Wales and Scotland (2026)
Each country sets its own rules for camping without planning permission, and two of the three have changed them recently. This is a summary with sources, not legal advice. Check with your council before you plan a season.
| Country | Days a year | Pitches | What you do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | Up to 60 under Class BC, subject to conditions | Up to 50 under Class BC | Write to the council and the fire service |
| Wales | 60 under Class BA, since 1 September 2026 | Not stated in the guidance | Apply to the council for prior approval |
| Scotland | 28 | Not stated in Class 15 | Nothing, for camping under Class 15 |
England
Recreational camping has its own permitted development route, Class BC. Do not rely on a general 28-day temporary-use rule as permission to run a campsite. Your council can confirm whether the land and proposal meet the relevant conditions.
Class BC, 60 days, since 26 July 2023. A right to run a campsite for leisure on up to 60 days a year, with up to 50 pitches. Tents, motorhomes and campervans only, not touring caravans. Before each year's use you send the council a written notice with a site plan and the dates, and tell the fire and rescue service. You need toilets and waste disposal on site.
Land in Environment Agency Flood Zone 2 or 3 needs prior approval first, which can take up to 56 days, and a flood risk assessment. The right doesn't apply at all on scheduled monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, within the curtilage of a listed building, in safety hazard areas or in military explosives storage areas. Sources: SI 2023/747 and Class BC on legislation.gov.uk.
The 50-pitch cap. The March 2023 consultation proposed 30 pitches. The final rule says 50. Source: Farmers Guide, 1 March 2023, checked against the SI above.
Nothing newer. We found no 2025 or 2026 consultation or SI that changes the 60 days or the 50 pitches. Checked via SI 2025/560 and the gov.uk consultation list.
Wales
Since 1 September 2026, camping in Wales has its own 60-day right, Class BA, in place of the 28-day Class B. It sits in Part 4, Schedule 2 of the General Permitted Development Order 1995 as it applies in Wales. The Welsh Government published guidance on 30 July 2026.
- Up to 60 days a calendar year. Tents, campervans and motorhomes, not touring caravans.
- National Parks, National Landscapes (once called AONBs) and World Heritage Sites don't get the extra days. They stay at 28.
- The site can't be within 100 metres of a home lived in by anyone other than the landowner or the person running the site.
- Land around existing buildings can be used now. The old rule didn't allow it.
- Festival camping isn't covered. It stays under Class B at 28 days.
- You apply to the council for prior approval. Applications opened on 1 June 2026.
- It doesn't apply on scheduled monuments, Special Areas of Conservation, safety hazard areas, military explosives storage areas, SSSIs, Ramsar sites, listed building sites, Special Protection Areas, Flood Zones 2 or 3, or land where an Article 4 direction or a planning condition has taken the right away.
We couldn't find a pitch limit in the Welsh guidance. Ask the council when you apply.
Source: gov.wales, permitted development rights for temporary campsites, 30 July 2026.
Scotland
Scotland has no 60-day right. Camping runs under Class 15 of the General Permitted Development (Scotland) Order 1992: land can be used for any purpose except a caravan site on up to 28 days a calendar year. Caravan sites were taken out of Class 15 on 30 June 2014. It doesn't apply on an SSSI. Source: Schedule 1, Part 4 on legislation.gov.uk.
Confirm the licensing position with the Scottish local authority for your site and accommodation types. Do not apply the England and Wales tent-licensing thresholds below across every UK jurisdiction.
Site licences
These are a separate check from permitted development. Read the campsite licence guide and confirm your actual arrangement with the local authority.
Caravans. A site may need a caravan site licence; exemptions depend on the actual arrangement. A certificate from an exempted organisation is one route with its own conditions. See the official caravan site licence guidance and exemption-certificate guidance, then confirm your proposal with the council.
Tents in England and Wales. The official camping licence guidance sets out licensing checks and exemptions. The length and pattern of camping matter, including the 42-consecutive-day and 60-day thresholds. A permitted development right is not blanket exemption from licensing. Ask the council about your dates and accommodation rather than relying on the planning allowance alone.
Which route fits
| You want | Route |
|---|---|
| A short temporary campsite | Check the country-specific route and its conditions. Planning and licensing are separate; a short duration is not blanket permission. |
| 29 to 60 days in England | Class BC. Up to 50 pitches. Tell the council and the fire service. Toilets and waste disposal. |
| 29 to 60 days in Wales | Class BA. Prior approval from the council. 100m from other homes. Not in National Parks, National Landscapes or World Heritage Sites. |
| More than 28 days in Scotland | No permitted route goes past 28 days. |
| A few caravans all year | A club certificate. Up to 5 caravans, and 10 tents on a Certificated Site. |
| A proposal outside a temporary route | Ask the council which planning permission and licensing requirements apply to your site and accommodation. |
Planning sources checked on 2 October 2026; England temporary-use and licensing wording reviewed on 5 October 2026. Confirm current site-specific conditions with the council.