Start a campsite on your land in Wales

Planning in Wales: what changed in 2026

Camping in Wales is no longer covered by the old 28-day temporary use right. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2026 created a separate permitted development right for recreational campsites (Class BA), in force from 1 June 2026, and removed camping from the general 28-day right (Class B) from 1 September 2026.

• • Up to 60 days of recreational campsite use in a calendar year in most locations.
• • 28 days where the land is in a National Park, an AONB or a World Heritage Site.
• • Before you begin in each calendar year you must apply to your local planning authority for a determination as to whether prior approval is required for toilet and wastewater facilities, waste disposal, and vehicular access. You cannot start until that process has run its course.
• • The right does not apply on a scheduled monument, SAC, SSSI, Ramsar site, special protection area, the site of a listed building, a safety hazard area, a military explosives storage area, land in Flood Zone 2 or 3, or land within 100 metres of a dwelling occupied by anyone other than the site owner or operator.
• • It covers moveable structures reasonably necessary for the use. Anything permanent — hardstanding, a fixed shower block, pods or cabins left in place — normally needs a full planning application. Caravans are excluded, other than motor vehicles adapted for human habitation.
• • An Article 4 direction can remove permitted development rights locally.

None of this means every Welsh landowner is automatically allowed to open a campsite. What applies to you depends on the specific land, its location and designations, how you intend to use it and any restrictions affecting it — including covenants and tenancy terms. Confirm the position with your local planning authority before you take bookings. The full rules are in the 2026 Order on legislation.gov.uk, and general planning guidance for Wales is published on gov.wales. For the wider compliance picture — registration, insurance, waste and water — read our guide to running a legal campsite or glamping site in Wales.

What pitches are advertised for on live 1 life

These are examples of nightly rates currently advertised by hosts on live 1 life. They are not guaranteed income, not a forecast and not a market-wide average for Wales. Your own rate, occupancy, permitted days and costs decide what you earn. Hosts do not pay the booking fee — a 5% booking fee is calculated on your listed price, added to the guest's total and collected from their deposit; there is no listing fee.

Illustration only: 5 pitches at £30 a night, filled for 20 nights, would be £3,000 before your own costs. It assumes those nights fall within the days you are permitted to operate, and it is an arithmetic example rather than income you should expect. The 5% booking fee is calculated on that price, added to the guest's total and collected from their deposit, so it is not deducted from your £3,000.

Four steps from field to first booking

1. 1. Check what you're allowed to do

   Call your local planning authority and describe the land, the number of pitches and how many nights a year you want to open. Ask about the Class BA campsite right, the prior approval determination you have to apply for each calendar year, Article 4 directions, designations such as National Park, AONB, SSSI or SAC, and whether any part of the land is in Flood Zone 2 or 3.

2. 2. Sort insurance and safety

   Get public liability insurance that names camping, write a short fire risk assessment, mark vehicle routes, and test any private water supply before guests drink it.

3. 3. Prepare the pitch

   Level, well-drained ground away from stock and machinery. Somewhere to park. Drinking water. A toilet — a serviced portaloo or compost loo is enough to start. Clear signage from the nearest road.

4. 4. List it and set your calendar

   Add photos, honest access notes and your house rules. Set your own nightly price and block the dates you need for farming or family. Guests book or enquire directly.

Frequently asked questions

Can I run a campsite on my land in Wales without planning permission?

Sometimes, but it is not automatic and it is no longer the old 28-day rule. Since 1 June 2026 a permitted development right (Class BA of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, as amended for Wales) allows land to be used as a recreational campsite for up to 60 days in a calendar year — 28 days within a National Park, AONB or World Heritage Site. Before you begin in each calendar year you must apply to your local planning authority for a determination as to whether prior approval is needed for toilet and wastewater facilities, waste disposal and vehicular access. The right does not apply at all on several types of land. Whether it applies to your field depends on the land, its location, any restrictions on it and how you want to use it, so confirm the position with your local planning authority before you take bookings.

What happened to the 28-day rule for camping in Wales?

The general 28-day temporary use right (Class B) was amended so that from 1 September 2026 it no longer covers camping, except camping in connection with a festival. Camping is now dealt with by the separate Class BA campsite right described above: 60 days a year in most places, 28 days within a National Park, AONB or World Heritage Site, with a prior approval determination required each calendar year.

Where does the campsite permitted development right not apply?

Class BA does not permit development on a scheduled monument, a special area of conservation, a site of special scientific interest, a Ramsar site, a special protection area, the site of a listed building, a safety hazard area, a military explosives storage area, land in Flood Zone 2 or 3, or land within 100 metres of a dwelling occupied by someone other than the site owner or operator. It also does not cover siting caravans, other than motor vehicles adapted for human habitation. An Article 4 direction can remove permitted development rights locally. Anything permanent — hardstanding, a fixed shower block, pods or cabins left in place — normally needs a full planning application.

Do I need to register or hold a licence?

Registration with the Welsh Revenue Authority opens in October 2026 and, if you take bookings of 31 nights or less for overnight stays in Wales, you must register by 31 March 2027. Camping pitches and glamping are within scope. Separately, the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Act 2026 creates the legal framework for a future licensing scheme, which the Welsh Government has said will start with self-catering accommodation; no start date has been set for other accommodation types. Site licensing under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 applies to caravan sites rather than tent-only camping. Your local council can confirm what applies to your land.

What facilities do guests actually expect?

For a simple off-grid or back-to-basics pitch, guests expect somewhere flat and dry to pitch, drinking water, a toilet of some kind, waste disposal, and clear parking and access instructions. Showers, hookup and a firepit raise your nightly rate but are not required to start. Note that toilet, wastewater, waste disposal and access arrangements are exactly what the prior approval determination looks at.

How much can a pitch in Wales earn?

We cannot tell you what you will earn. The figures on this page are the nightly rates currently advertised by hosts on live 1 life — examples from our own listings, not guaranteed income and not a market-wide average. What you actually earn depends on your rate, how many pitches you offer, how many nights you fill and your own costs. Hosts do not pay the booking fee: a 5% booking fee is calculated on your listed price, added to the guest's total and collected from their deposit.

How do I list my land on live 1 life?

Submit the partner application on this page or create a host account and add your listing directly. Every listing is checked by our team against our listing standards before it is published. That check is not planning approval, licensing, registration or a physical inspection of your site, and we do not certify your planning position, insurance or licences — those remain your responsibility. Once published, you set your own pricing, calendar and house rules.

This page is general information about camping on your own land, not legal or planning advice. Planning requirements depend on the specific land, its location and designations, the use proposed and any restrictions that apply, so confirm anything specific to your site with your local planning authority. Last reviewed: 19 September 2026.