The Welsh government is considering changes to camping regulations, which could take effect by the summer of 2025.
During the pandemic, the limit on how many days a pop-up campsite could operate without requiring planning permission was extended from 28 days to 56 days.
However, this change ended in 2022, and the limit returned to 28 days. Meanwhile, in England, the UK government raised the limit to 60 days. Some campsite owners in Wales have expressed frustration with the decision not to align with England’s regulations.
The Welsh government, however, has stated that it is important for local communities and councils to have input on pop-up campsites that extend beyond 28 days. This is due to concerns raised during the pandemic that the increased number of temporary campsites impacted rural areas due to traffic and noise.
Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Energy, and Planning Rebecca Evans confirmed in a letter to the Chair of the Petitions Committee that the Welsh government is actively working on potential changes.
A consultation paper regarding the proposed changes to permitted development rights is expected to be issued in the coming months, with the earliest possible implementation of any changes expected to align with the summer camping season of 2025.
Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, welcomed the potential changes, emphasizing that extending the permitted development rights would benefit Wales’s rural economy.
He noted that the 56-day extension during the pandemic had helped rural communities recover and that both the UK and Welsh governments had conducted consultations on making the change permanent.
While England quickly enacted the extension, the Welsh government had been cautious in its response, despite pressure from landowners and farmers.
One farm family, Emma and Edwin Jones of Nant Madyn farm near Tywyn, Gwynedd, has expressed support for the change. They started a campsite during the pandemic but have struggled to maintain it since the rules reverted to 28 days.
Emma Jones explained that the restrictions have limited their ability to operate, particularly because they use portaloos, which count against the 28-day limit even if no guests stay.
“If they moved it to 56 or 60 days as they have in England, it would give the option to do a week in Easter, May Bank Holiday, open for a few more days in the summer holidays, and possibly even at October half term too. It would make a huge difference,” Emma Jones told NorthWalesLive.
The couple, who run a farm with 600 Welsh mountain ewes and Welsh black cattle, rely on their campsite as an important source of income.
“We simply can’t make it work with just the 28 days,” said Emma. “We are at a crossroads. But if they can sort this out in time for next year, that might be our saving grace.”
