Fears for pop-up campsites amid 'ridiculous' new rules

Pop-up campsite owners and accommodation providers have criticised upcoming rule changes in Wales, labelling them "unworkable" and "ridiculous".

From June, landowners can apply to run their pop-up for up to 60 days per year - the same as is in England, and an increase on the current 28-day allowance.

But the new system, announced by the previous Welsh government, also includes restrictions on where these pop-ups will be allowed, which some in the tourism sector claim means a "significant part of Wales" will not benefit.

The new Welsh government said its recently-appointed cabinet would be "setting out their priorities shortly" and would "have a relentless focus on doing what's best for Wales".

Dan Yates, founder of outdoor accommodation booking site Pitchup, said the concept of "permitted development" - meaning no planning permission is needed - was now "a misnomer in Wales".

He said this was because the changes were "fraught with hoops you have to jump through" that "deters a lot of people from even bothering".

Current rules allow landowners to open pop-up campsites in Wales for up to 28 days a year under permitted development.

During the pandemic, the Welsh government temporarily relaxed these rules and the allowance went up to 56 days.

In 2023, the rules reverted back to pre-Covid limit.

One couple who dreamed of running a pop-up campsite and petting farm decided to sell up and move to England, where the limit was 60.

Last year, the Welsh government launched a consultation on plans to increase the limit to 60 days – it said it was a suggestion which had been "broadly supported" previously and it was aware of businesses feeling a "competitive disadvantage" compared to England.

But it added it wanted to address concerns raised about "the disruption caused by living next to a pop-up camping site".

It proposed a new type of permitted development, where pop-up campsites would need to apply for permission for the 60-day allowance.

These would not be allowed within a 100-metre "buffer" of a building not occupied by the site owner. Other excluded areas included certain flood zones and in the vicinity of listed buildings.

Following the consultation, the government announced the "first phase" of the new rules, beginning 1 June.

During this phase, pop-up sites on land within a national park, area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) or world heritage site remain under the 28-day allowance.

Landowners would also have to agree vehicle access and wastewater management procedures with their local council.

While the new legislation is being phased in initially, all pop-up campsite operators will need to abide by it from 1 September.

In Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, festivals are now exempt from having to apply for planning permission.

Yates said he thought the Welsh government had "done a good job of talking about the headline figure of 60 days", but the small print showed "this won't apply to a significant part of Wales".

"If you are unfortunate enough to be in a flood zone 2 or 3, which in England they think is perfectly OK as long as you seek prior approval, the permitted development right is completely removed in Wales," he said.

He said the legislation was "unworkable and damaging", adding pubs in particular would be "really disadvantaged", as the buffer rule means they cannot set up a temporary campsite within 100 metres of their venue.

"It is a ridiculous situation and one that will only make things worse for pubs, farmers, landowners, local councils, holidaymakers and everyone else involved with the issue."

Caroline Roberts, who runs a pop-up campsite and van pitches in Pant Y Barcud, Carmarthen, decided it would be more "cost-effective" to have a permanent site, running for a full six-month season, due to paying for things such as insurance.

She applied to Carmarthenshire council for planning consent in March 2023, but this was denied, which a spokesperson confirmed was on the grounds that "intensification of use would give rise to highway safety concerns".

She is now worried this means she won't even be able to run a pop-up under the new rules, calling the process "desktop analysis" and claiming no-one from the council visited the site.

Farm owner Mark Rutherford, who runs Camp Llandudno in Conwy county, is also concerned his site could be impacted as his main field is in a flood zone.

"[It] effectively means we can't run half of the camp," he said.

"You can't make blanket rules because not all situations fit in a box. We don't flood ever, and certainly don't in the summer when we run our pop-up camp."

Rutherford said he "totally understands" the desire "to protect people" but added his business had never had an issue in four years of operating.

He said landowners in flood zones should be able to provide additional information to local planning authorities, to allow them to "make an educated decision".