If you are thinking about adding glamping pods, shepherd's huts or bell tents to your campsite, one of the first questions you will face is whether you need glamping planning permission. The answer is not always straightforward. It depends on what you want to put up, where your site is located, and how your local council interprets the rules. This guide walks through the key things UK campsite owners need to know before ordering pods or breaking ground.

Do glamping structures need planning permission?

The short answer is: usually, yes. In England and Wales, any structure used for overnight accommodation on a commercial basis is likely to require planning permission. This includes:

The fact that a structure can be moved does not automatically make it exempt. Planning authorities look at how a structure is used, not just how it is built. If it sits in the same spot for most of the year and is let out to paying guests, it is treated as development in planning terms.

Bell tents and standard camping tents are generally different. Because they are genuinely temporary and taken down between uses, they do not normally require planning permission. But if you put a bell tent on a permanent wooden deck with lighting and plumbing, the council may take a different view.

What about permitted development rights?

Permitted development (PD) rights allow certain types of work without a full planning application. For agricultural land, there are PD rights under Part 6 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 that allow some temporary uses.

However, these rights are limited and come with conditions. The key ones to be aware of:

If you already hold a campsite licence, you may have broader rights depending on the conditions attached to it. Always check the specific terms of your licence before assuming you can add new types of accommodation.

CL and CS sites: special considerations

If you run a Certificated Location (CL) or Certificated Site (CS), the rules around planning can be slightly different. CLs are certified by the Caravan and Motorhome Club and allow up to five caravans at a time. CS sites are certified by the Camping and Caravanning Club for up to five units.

The exemption that covers CL and CS sites comes from the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. It specifically covers caravans, and the legal definition of a caravan is quite specific. A glamping pod that is a single structure, built to be moved, and under certain size limits may qualify as a caravan under this definition. But a pod that is bolted to a concrete base, connected to mains drainage and exceeds the dimensional limits probably does not.

The key size limits for a "caravan" under the Act are:

If you are thinking about adding glamping units to a CL or CS site, check with your certifying club first. They can advise on whether the specific unit you have in mind falls within the exemption. Getting this wrong can put your certification at risk, so it is worth a phone call before you commit to a purchase.

How the planning application process works

If you do need planning permission, the process is not as daunting as it might sound. Here is what to expect.

Pre-application advice

Most local planning authorities offer a pre-application advice service. For a small fee (usually between £50 and £300), a planning officer will review your proposal informally and tell you whether it is likely to be approved. This is well worth doing. It saves you the cost and time of a full application that might be refused, and it gives you the chance to adjust your plans before submitting.

The full application

If you go ahead, you will need to submit a planning application through the Planning Portal. You will typically need:

Most applications for minor developments are determined within eight weeks. In practice, it can take longer if the council requests additional information or if there are objections from neighbours.

Conditions on approval

Planning permission is often granted with conditions attached. These might limit the number of units, restrict the months you can operate, require landscaping or screening, or set rules about lighting and noise. Read the conditions carefully. Breaching them can lead to enforcement action, and it is much harder to get conditions relaxed after the fact than to negotiate them during the application.

Common mistakes to avoid

Having spoken to campsite owners who have been through this process, a few pitfalls come up again and again.

Building before applying

Some owners put up a pod or two and assume they can sort the paperwork later. This is risky. If the council issues an enforcement notice, you may have to remove the structure at your own cost. Retrospective applications are possible, but they are not guaranteed to succeed, and the council may take a harder line when you have already built without permission. It is always cheaper and less stressful to get permission first.

Ignoring your neighbours

Planning applications are public, and neighbours can object. If you are in a rural area, nearby residents may have concerns about traffic, noise or visual impact. A quick conversation with your neighbours before you submit can prevent objections. If they know what you are planning and you have addressed their concerns, they are far less likely to write to the council.

Choosing the wrong location on your land

Where you place glamping units on your property matters more than many owners realise. Units visible from a public road or a neighbouring property are more likely to attract objections and may conflict with the council's landscape policies. Tucking them into a natural hollow, behind existing hedging or among trees can make the difference between approval and refusal.

Forgetting about building regulations

Planning permission and building regulations are separate things. Even if you get planning approval, any structure with plumbing, electrics or fixed heating may also need to comply with building regulations. Check with your local authority's building control team before the build starts.

Making glamping work alongside your existing pitches

If you already run touring or camping pitches, adding glamping accommodation is a natural way to increase your revenue per acre. Glamping guests typically pay two to three times more per night than touring visitors, and they often book longer stays.

The trick is integrating glamping without disrupting what already works. Think about:

Is it worth the effort?

Adding glamping to your campsite is one of the best investments a UK site owner can make right now. Demand for glamping has grown consistently year on year, and guests are willing to pay a premium for a comfortable, unique place to stay. A well placed shepherd's hut or a pair of pods can transform your income, especially during shoulder seasons when touring bookings tend to drop off.

The planning process takes time and there are costs involved, but it is manageable. Start with pre-application advice, talk to your neighbours, choose your location carefully and get the paperwork right before you build. If you run a CL or CS site, check the rules around what counts as a caravan before you commit to a specific type of unit.

Once you have permission and your units are in place, you will want a system that handles different accommodation types cleanly. CampSuite lets you manage pods, huts and pitches all in one place, with online bookings, automatic guest messages and card payments built in. It is free for CL and CS sites, so there is nothing to lose by giving it a try.