Agriculture & Farming

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.

UK-wide
Guide summary

Check if you need planning permission before setting up camping or glamping on your farm. You can camp for up to 60 days a year in England without permission, but glamping pods need approval. Apply for a caravan site licence if you have more than 5 units or permanent structures. Follow safety rules for electricity, gas and fire.

  • 60-day rule (England only): no planning needed for temporary camping
  • Certificated Locations: up to 5 units for club members
  • Get planning permission for 10+ units or permanent structures
  • Apply for caravan site licence if planning needed
  • Follow building regulations for glamping pods
  • Get electrical and gas safety certificates
  • Do fire risk assessment for all units
  • Register private water supply with council
  • Get public liability insurance (£5m minimum)
  • Keep records of bookings to prove 60-day limit
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UK-wide

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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 right (Class BC of the General Permitted Development Order, which replaced the 28-day rule 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
  • No more than 50 pitches on the site at any one time
  • You must notify your local planning authority each calendar year before use begins, including a site plan showing the pitches and the toilet and waste disposal facilities provided
  • The right is not available on sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), scheduled monuments, or land within the curtilage of a listed building
  • The right applies to tent camping, not permanent structures like pods or static caravans
  • You must keep records proving you haven't exceeded 60 days (booking records, site registers)
  • 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.