Guide
Set up camping or glamping on your farm
How to comply with planning permission, licensing, and safety requirements when offering camping or glamping on agricultural land. Covers the 60-day exemption, caravan site licensing, and glamping-specific regulations.
Farm camping and glamping are popular diversifications offering good returns with relatively low capital investment. However, planning and licensing requirements vary significantly depending on the scale and nature of your operation.
Getting compliance wrong can result in enforcement action, forced removal of structures, and retrospective planning battles. Understanding the rules before you start prevents expensive mistakes.
Planning permission for camping
The 60-day rule (England only)
The 60-day exemption (increased from 28 days in 2023) is useful for testing market demand without planning permission. However, there are strict conditions:
- The 60 days must be cumulative across a calendar year, not continuous
- You must keep records proving you haven't exceeded 60 days (booking records, site registers)
- The exemption applies to tent camping, not permanent structures like pods or static caravans
- Local authorities can still require you to stop if there are noise, access, or environmental concerns
If your camping proves successful and you want to exceed 60 days, apply for planning permission before you breach the limit. Operating without permission after exceeding 60 days can result in enforcement action.
Glamping compliance
Safety requirements for glamping
Glamping structures with electrical or gas installations trigger additional safety requirements:
- Electrical safety: Use NICEIC or similar registered electricians for all work. Keep installation certificates
- Gas safety: Use Gas Safe registered engineers. Annual safety checks required for gas appliances
- Fire safety: Appropriate fire extinguishers, smoke/CO detectors, clear exit routes
- Building regulations: May apply to some structures - check with Building Control
Many glamping sites have been prosecuted following fires or carbon monoxide incidents. Keep installation certificates and test records in your site safety file.