Farmers and landowners in Wales have raised concerns over the limited ability to extend the operating period of pop-up campsites, citing a potential competitive disadvantage compared with counterparts in England.
While England has allowed temporary campsites to operate for up to 60 days per year since July 2023, the current regulation in Wales permits only 28 days. Data from booking platform Pitchup.com indicates that pop-up campsites in England earn on average 52% more than those in Wales.
Evan Owen, a retired planning consultant who operates a wild camping field in Dyffryn Ardudwy, Gwynedd, said the 28-day restriction is insufficient for managing a campsite in variable weather.
“We’ve had people stay with us in the summer who said how nice it would be to come back in the spring,” he said. “What harm is there in people enjoying a field? One girl said she was looking out of her tent and she saw a buzzard land just outside. You won’t get that in a normal campsite.”
According to NorthWalesLive, the Welsh Government previously introduced temporary measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, pop-up campsites were allowed to operate for 56 days to support domestic tourism, though the concession lasted less than a year before the 28-day limit was reinstated.
Landowners have since lobbied for permanent changes to Permitted Development Rights (PDR). A consultation in November 2021 found majority support for extending PDR, and a second consultation was launched in 2025, proposing a 60-day window along with a temporary 100-metre buffer to mitigate impacts on neighbours.
Certain sites remain excluded from PDR, including areas near scheduled monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, listed buildings, safety hazard zones, certain flood zones, and military explosives storage areas. Caravans are not permitted, though motorhomes and campervans are allowed.
Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, highlighted the potential benefits for rural communities: “Extending PDR has to be one of the easiest, quickest, and most effective changes the Welsh Government can make to help bolster its rural communities.
The change was practically waved through in England, and many English farmers, small landowners and rural communities immediately benefited from the extra revenue tourism brings.” He added that planning applications in Wales can take up to 110 days, making PDR a quicker alternative for landowners.
Some areas in Wales have introduced restrictions in response to over-camping. In May 2025, the Pembrokeshire Coast Authority approved an Article 4 Direction removing the 28-day PDR for camping and mobile home sites within the national park, citing environmental, noise, and traffic concerns.
he Welsh Government has advised that such measures be applied selectively, where roads and infrastructure cannot accommodate temporary visitor increases.
For outdoor hospitality operators, these developments highlight the ongoing tension between expanding tourism revenue and managing environmental and community impacts. Understanding local regulations and planning timelines remains critical for optimizing seasonal campsite operations.