The 28-Day Rule for Campsites: What Changed in 2023

The 28-day rule is one of the most-asked-about pieces of UK planning law for anyone thinking about running a small, seasonal campsite. It's also one of the most misunderstood, partly because the rule itself changed in England in 2023 and partly because it gets confused with the CL and CS schemes, which are a completely separate route to running a small site.

This page explains what the 28-day rule actually is, what changed in 2023, where it does and doesn't apply, and how it relates to the certification schemes that many small sites use instead.

Before you rely on any of this for a real site, speak to your local planning authority. Permitted development rights have exceptions, local restrictions, and recent amendments that a five-minute call to the duty planner will clarify. This guide is a general overview, not legal advice.

What Is the 28-Day Rule?

The 28-day rule is shorthand for a permitted development right in UK planning law that lets you use land for certain temporary activities, including camping, without needing planning permission. It sits within the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order and has been part of the planning landscape for decades.

Under the original rule, you could use open land for temporary activities — markets, fairs, motor sports, and crucially for our purposes, camping with tents, caravans, or motorhomes — for up to 28 days in any calendar year. After 28 days of use, you needed planning permission to continue.

The appeal for small-site operators was obvious. You could run a pop-up campsite through the peak summer weeks, take the money, and pack up before the 28-day limit ran out.

What Changed in July 2023 (England Only)

In July 2023 the UK government increased the permitted development right for temporary camping on open land in England from 28 days to 60 days in a calendar year. The change was introduced to give rural landowners more flexibility and to support the seasonal tourism economy, especially in the wake of pandemic-era demand for domestic camping.

So in England today, for most practical campsite purposes, it's a 60-day rule rather than a 28-day one.

A few things to note:

• The change applies to England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate their own planning systems and in most cases continue to use a 28-day limit, though Wales has also consulted on extensions. Check the current rules for your specific country.
• The 60 days must be within a single calendar year. You cannot carry days forward or back.
• The right applies to the land itself, not to individual pitches. If you have a field you use for camping for 60 days, that's your allowance for the year regardless of how many vans or tents were on it.
• Some protected areas, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, are excluded or have additional restrictions.

Where the Rule Does Not Apply

Even in England, the 60-day right is not universal. Restrictions and exclusions apply in various protected categories of land, including but not limited to:

• Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
• Land within a National Park, where additional local rules often apply
• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), where local authorities may restrict the right
• Conservation Areas
• World Heritage Sites
• The Broads
• Land subject to an Article 4 Direction that removes permitted development rights

In all of these cases, the permitted development window may be shorter, subject to extra conditions, or not available at all. A short, polite phone call to your local planning authority's duty planner is the fastest way to find out exactly what applies to your land. Don't assume.

How the 28/60-Day Rule Relates to CLs and CSs

This is where it gets confusing. The 28/60-day rule and the CL/CS schemes are two completely different routes to operating a small site without a full local authority site licence.

• The 28/60-day rule is a permitted development right. It lets you use land for camping for a limited number of days per year, no Club involvement required, with no site licence exemption.
• CL and CS sites are year-round certifications granted by exempted organisations — the Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club. They rely on a separate legal exemption from the site licence regime, not on permitted development rights.

If you want a small, year-round site, a CL or CS is usually the right route. If you want a short, seasonal pop-up with no Club inspection or ongoing commitment, the 60-day rule (in England) gives you that flexibility. It is possible in principle to combine the two — a year-round five-pitch CL with additional seasonal camping on another part of your land under permitted development — but local planners can take a dim view, and practical issues around access, neighbours and site capacity often get in the way. Talk to your planning authority before advertising anything.

For the differences between the two Club schemes themselves, see our guide to CL site vs CS site. If you're ready to explore CL certification, our guide to starting a CL site walks through the full process.

What You Still Need Even With Permitted Development

The 28/60-day rule removes the need for planning permission for change of use. It doesn't remove everything else. You still need to:

• Carry adequate public liability insurance
• Provide clean drinking water and appropriate waste disposal
• Comply with fire safety and any environmental health requirements
• Respect any local amenity considerations, such as noise, light pollution, and road access
• Keep honest records of the days you operate, so you can demonstrate compliance if challenged

Keeping that last one straight is worth emphasising. The permitted development right is self-certifying: you don't apply for it, you just use it. That means if a neighbour complains or the planning authority investigates, the burden is on you to show that your actual days of use fall inside the allowance. A clean booking record that shows arrivals, departures and nights of use per pitch is not just good practice, it's your evidence. A digital booking diary does this automatically.

Beyond the 60 Days: What Comes Next

If 60 days a year isn't enough and a CL or CS doesn't suit your plans, the next step is a full change-of-use planning application and a caravan site licence from your local authority. This is a more involved process, with fees, plans, consultations and conditions. For some landowners it's clearly worth the effort; for others the smaller routes are better.

Our guide to UK campsite licensing covers the full planning and licensing picture for anyone looking to go beyond the permitted development window.

Summary

• The 28-day rule is a UK planning right that lets you use land for temporary activities, including camping, without planning permission.
• In England, it was extended to 60 days in July 2023 for temporary camping on open land.
• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland generally continue to use 28 days, subject to their own planning systems.
• The rule does not apply, or is restricted, in many protected areas and under Article 4 Directions.
• It's a separate route from the CL and CS schemes, which are year-round certifications under a different exemption.
• Always check with your local planning authority before relying on the rule.