Glamping planning trends
The glamping planning index stands at 188: almost twice its 2016 share, though a third below its 2022 peak.
Glamping applications since 2016
Glamping applications in every 10,000 planning applications, over the 12 months to each month
How this is measuredA third below the 2022 peak
The glamping share peaked at 20 in every 10,000 applications in the 12 months to June 2022 and is now 13. Yearly counts halved, from 1,236 in 2021 to 620 in 2025. The glamping planning index is 188: almost twice its 2016 share.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland lead
Over 2023 to 2025, Wales had 54 glamping applications in every 10,000, Scotland 49 and Northern Ireland 42, against 15 across the UK. London had 2 in the three years. Highland has the most since 2016, 600, against Cornwall's 335.
Q3 2026 against a year earlier
Councils received 130 glamping applications in Q3 2026: 13 in every 10,000 applications, against 14 in Q3 2025, a share of all applications 8% lower than a year earlier.
Glamping applications each quarter
130 in Q3 2026, against 150 a year earlier.
Out of every 10,000 applications
As a share of every application: 13 in every 10,000 in Q3 2026, against 14 a year earlier.
Where glamping applications concentrate
By region
Glamping applications in every 10,000 planning applications, 2023 to 2025
Councils with the most
Applications since 2016
-
Highland
Scotland · 171 in every 10,000 600 -
Cornwall
South West · 43 in every 10,000 335 -
North Yorkshire
Yorkshire and Humber · 35 in every 10,000 235 -
Somerset
South West · 34 in every 10,000 195 -
Powys
Wales · 150 in every 10,000 189 -
Shropshire
West Midlands · 47 in every 10,000 150 -
Lake District National Park
North West · 120 in every 10,000 149 -
Dorset
South West · 29 in every 10,000 139 -
Argyll and Bute
Scotland · 85 in every 10,000 138 -
Northumberland
North East · 46 in every 10,000 124
Latest glamping applications
- Entwistle Inns Ltd, Strawbury Duck, 1 - 5 Overshores Road, Entwistle, Bolton, Blackburn With Darwen Proposed change of use of land for the siting of 4 No. shepherd huts to provide additional holiday accommodation associated with the Strawberry Duck Country Pub
- Crescent Place Storrington Road Thakeham West Sussex Relocation of camping pod (Part-Retrospective).
- Copperbeech Main Road Yoxford Saxmundham Suffolk Siting of four glamping pods ancillary to the existing Bed and Breakfast and change of use of existing outbuilding to Use Class C1 holiday accommodation.
- Natures Retreat Campbells Farm East Street Hunton Kent Creation of a retreat consisting of 2no. six metre canvas yurts, 1no. five metre bell tent and 1no. four metre bell tent to operate within the 60-day temporary camping provision.
- Ashfield Farm Salwayash Bridport Conversion of leisure building to provide facilities for glamping pods and provision of two glamping pods
- 13 Collenan Loans South Ayrshire Change of use of agricultural land to form glamping site with 4no. shepherd huts
How often are they refused?
Of 5,553 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 19.7% were refused, well above the 11.3% for all applications.
Refusal rate by year
Decisions, applications received 2016 to 2024
- Approved or refused5,553
- Refused19.7%
- Withdrawn before a decision876
- All applications11.3% refused
Questions
How many glamping planning applications are there in the UK?
Councils have received 8,135 since January 2016, 575 of them in the 12 months to September 2026. Their share peaked in the 12 months to June 2022.
Which councils receive the most glamping applications?
Highland, Cornwall and North Yorkshire have received the most since 2016.
Are glamping applications rising or falling?
Falling. Yearly counts have dropped every year since 2021, from 1,236 to 620 in 2025. In the 12 months to September 2026 the share of applications was 26% lower than three years earlier. The glamping planning index is 188: almost twice its 2016 share.
How often are glamping applications refused?
Of 5,553 received 2016 to 2024 and decided, 19.7% 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
England's 60-day camping right, in force since July 2023, lets some tent sites open without an application. Pods and shepherd's huts left standing still need permission.
Methodology
- What is counted: planning applications to UK councils whose description names glamping 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.
- How matches are checked: we read the 200 most recent glamping applications and 20 from every year since 2016 to confirm each one belongs.
- 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 glamping 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 9 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, in force since 26 July 2023, allows up to 60 days of recreational camping a year in England. legislation.gov.uk
- The 60-day right covers tents, campervans and motorhomes on up to 50 pitches, not fixed structures. folkestone-hythe.gov.uk