Campsite planning trends
The campsite planning index stands at 189, almost twice its 2016 share and just below its January 2025 peak.
Campsite applications since 2016
Campsite applications in every 10,000 planning applications, over the 12 months to each month
How this is measuredA step up in 2024
Councils received between 333 and 435 campsite applications a year from 2016 to 2023, then 466 in 2024. The rise followed England's Class BC right: since 26 July 2023, a 60-day campsite must give the council written notice each year.
South West and the national parks
From 2023 to 2025 the South West received 19 campsite applications in every 10,000 and Wales 17, against 8.5 across the UK. London received 0.1. The Lake District National Park leads the councils, with 233 since 2016, or 179 in every 10,000.
Q3 2026 against a year earlier
Councils received 77 campsite applications in Q3 2026: 7.5 in every 10,000 applications, against 7.9 in Q3 2025, a share of all applications 5% lower than a year earlier.
Campsite applications each quarter
77 in Q3 2026, against 86 a year earlier.
Out of every 10,000 applications
As a share of every application: 7.5 in every 10,000 in Q3 2026, against 7.9 a year earlier.
Where campsite applications concentrate
By region
Campsite applications in every 10,000 planning applications, 2023 to 2025
Councils with the most
Applications since 2016
-
Lake District National Park
North West · 180 in every 10,000 233 -
Cornwall
South West · 23 in every 10,000 185 -
South Downs National Park
South East · 43 in every 10,000 140 -
North Yorkshire
Yorkshire and Humber · 18 in every 10,000 138 -
North Norfolk
East of England · 69 in every 10,000 133 -
Highland
Scotland · 34 in every 10,000 127 -
Northumberland
North East · 40 in every 10,000 120 -
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Yorkshire and Humber · 158 in every 10,000 110 -
Dorset
South West · 20 in every 10,000 105 - South Hams and West Devon (shared register)
South West · 38 in every 10,000 97
Latest campsite applications
- River Field, Masons Campsite, Appletreewick, Skipton Prior approval of a proposed temporary recreational campsite in Flood Zone 2 or Flood Zone 3 under Schedule 2, Part 4, Class BC of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended)
- Huntscott Road, Luccombe, Minehead Proposed change of use of building and land to campsite together with installation of shower trailer, compost toilet, toilet trailer and septic tank. Retrospective.
- Shortlake Farm Shortlake Lane Osmington Weymouth Seasonal use as a campsite
- Crescent Place Storrington Road Thakeham West Sussex Relocation of camping pod (Part-Retrospective).
- E E Calver Caravan Storage Bedford Road Clapham Bedford Bedfordshire Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use in respect of the use of the land as a campsite for caravans, motorhomes, tents and trailer tents, together with associated facilities and access.
- Langholm Rufc Miltown Langholm Application for temporary camping and caravan site - maximum of 50 units per night including all tents (for period 16/07/27 to 01/08/27)
How often are they refused?
Of 2,623 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 18.2% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
Refusal rate by year
Decisions, applications received 2016 to 2024
- Approved or refused2,623
- Refused18.2%
- Withdrawn before a decision399
- All applications11.3% refused
Questions
How many campsite planning applications are there in the UK?
Councils have received 4,141 since January 2016, 439 of them in the 12 months to September 2026. Their share peaked in the 12 months to January 2025.
Which councils receive the most campsite applications?
Lake District National Park, Cornwall and South Downs National Park have received the most since 2016.
Are campsite planning applications rising?
Yes. Councils received 439 in the 12 months to September 2026, and campsites' share of applications is 45% higher than three years earlier. The campsite planning index peaked in January 2025 and is just below it.
How often are campsite applications refused?
Of 2,623 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 18.2% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
About Plota
Plota is the UK's most visited planning search, according to Similarweb. It shows every new planning application from every UK council, read daily from 390 planning registers, with past applications back to 2016 from more than 420 registers, including those of councils since merged. It also covers planning committee decisions, HMO licences and premises licences.
How this is measured
What needs an application
Since 26 July 2023, England's Class BC right lets land be used as a campsite for up to 60 days a year and 50 pitches, with written notice to the council each year.
Methodology
- What is counted: planning applications to UK councils whose description names campsites or a close variant of the words, by the date each council received them. These are planning applications, not completed schemes; the largest energy and infrastructure projects are consented nationally rather than by councils, so they sit outside these counts.
- Removals are taken out: every matching application is classified, and those that would remove or demolish campsites, or change them to another use, are not counted. The figures follow applications that add, extend or alter them.
- How matches are checked: we read a random sample of the campsite applications counted here against what the topic's name means, and compare the counts with published figures where they exist.
- Topic counts leave out, by design, works to trees and applications that only discharge conditions, amend an earlier permission or approve reserved matters, which follow a scheme already counted. Everything else is counted.
- A share is the number out of every 10,000 applications over the previous 12 months. Each topic is a number in every 10,000 planning applications, so trends compare when overall planning activity changes; the share still moves when either the topic's count or the total does. The campsite planning index sets the 2016 share at 100, so 200 means twice as common as in 2016.
- Source: the planning registers of every UK council, January 2016 to September 2026, read on 11 November 2026.
- Planning is seasonal, so each quarter is compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Year on year: each topic's and theme's share of all applications in Q3 2026, against Q3 2025, at every council we hold. A share is the number in every 10,000 applications. Shares compare across councils and years; raw counts do not.
- Left out of the topic shares: Birmingham's applications from June to September 2026: a validation backlog at the council since June 2026: of 685 reference numbers it issued in September, its register lists 288. The same months a year earlier are left out too, so every comparison covers the same councils.
- Refusals: applications received 2016 to 2024 and decided, at councils whose published decisions pass our checks against their decision notices. Approvals and refusals count; withdrawals do not. "All applications" means every decision of that kind at the same councils over the same years. Applications received from 2025 are added once most are decided.
- Download the data (CSV): every topic and theme, each quarter since 2016.
Sources
- Class BC allows land to be used as a recreational campsite for up to 60 days a calendar year, up to 50 pitches, in force from 26 July 2023. legislation.gov.uk
- Class BC started on 26 July 2023 and requires written notification to the council, with a site plan, before use in each calendar year. northyorks.gov.uk