Starting a campsite in a UK national park, AONB, SSSI or other protected area

Can I start a campsite in a national park?

The short answer is yes—it is possible to start a new campsite in a national park. The UK’s 15 national parks have each been designated as places of national importance for their natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage. They are protected in order to conserve the special features of the landscape. But also to provide places for people to enjoy the outdoors. As such, we can’t think of a better place to run a Hipcamp. They are scenic and attract lots of visitors—and all those visitors need somewhere to stay. A campsite, which has a lower impact on the landscape than, say, the building of a hotel, is an ideal way to accommodate visitors. And that’s why you’ll find plenty of them in and around national parks, from the South Downs in the south of England to the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. 

Operating a campsite in a national park

The difference between operating a campsite within a national park and outside of it, is that the national park authority (NPA) will be the organisation in charge of development—instead of the district or borough council. This means that the NPA decides on any planning applications for works within its boundaries including, of course, your potential planning application for a campsite. Being in a national park means there will be a higher degree of scrutiny as each NPA has a duty to protect the special landscapes within their care. Having said that, the authority will also have an interest in tourism to their area. They will balance these things in trying to decide whether to grant planning permission for developments, including campsites, and, if granted, they may well impose some restrictions on size, look, and layout, so as not to affect the beauty of the area.

As with elsewhere, some campsites in national parks do not require planning permission. These include temporary campsites, which operate under permitted development rights, or campsites operating as part of an exempted organisation. The right to operate in one of these ways is the same inside a national park as outside of it.

Some temporary campsites are able to operate for up to 60 days in England and for up to 28 days elsewhere in the UK without planning permission thanks to permitted development rights but there are instances in which this right is restricted by a special measure called an Article 4 direction. This can be put in place when an area is under a particular pressure—and, given their popularity, it’s worth noting that national parks are, arguably, more likely to fall into this category. An Article 4 direction has already been put in place in the New Forest National Park, for example, where the large number of temporary campsites was causing concern for residents and the sensitive habitats there. Hosts in the New Forest now have to apply to the New Forest National Park Authority if they want to open a temporary campsite, just as they would if they were operating for a longer period.

If an Article 4 direction is in place in an area where you wish to operate a campsite, it does not mean that the campsite will not be allowed, it simply means you will have to apply for planning permission—even for a temporary campsite.

Can I start a campsite in an AONB, SSSI, SAC or SPA?

In addition to the UK’s 15 national parks, there are other locations that are designated for protection. These are typically known by a dizzying array of abbreviations. There are AONBs, NSAs, SSSIs, SACs, and SPAs, to name just a few. Let’s take them one by one.

Can I start a campsite in an AONB?

An AONB is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; it is protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act: “to conserve and enhance its natural beauty”. There are a total of 46 AONBs in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. You can see a map of them here. The equivalent designation in Scotland is an NSA or National Scenic Area. There’s a separate map on the Scottish government website showing Scotland’s 40 NSAs.

Whether it’s an AONB or an NSA, these areas, like national parks, are some of the most scenic places in the UK. As such, they are ideal for camping holidays, and the bodies which seek to protect them also aim to promote them. Sustainable tourism like camping is an ideal way to do this, so, as long as you approach the way you set up your Hipcamp responsibly, there should be no objection to what you are doing. You can, for example, set up a temporary 60-day campsite in England or a 28-day campsite in other parts of the UK under permitted development rights as you would elsewhere—as long as the area is not subject to an Article 4 direction. You can also apply for planning permission just as you would elsewhere. The fact that your proposal falls within a AONB will be taken into consideration by those making the decision.

Can I start a campsite in an SSSI or an ASSI?

An SSSI is a Site of Scientific Special Interest (England, Wales, and Scotland). The equivalent in Northern Ireland is an ASSI—an Area of Scientific Special Interest. These are areas with wildlife, geology, or landform that are considered worth protecting and, as such, landowners have to manage them carefully. If you are proposing a campsite in a protected area like this, it’s likely you will be aware of the designation but if you are not sure, you can check Defra’s MAGIC Map (for land in England, Wales, and Scotland) or the Northern Irish Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs website. These will also show other land designations as, surprise surprise, MAGIC is another acronym, standing for Multi-Agency Geographical Information for Countryside. This is useful as you can see all the designations in one place and SSSIs are often also covered by other designations too.

An SSSI or ASSI designation does not necessarily mean you cannot run a Hipcamp in the area, but it will likely mean that you have to seek an extra permission to make sure it doesn’t damage its special features. There’s more information on SSSIs in England from Natural England on the government website. Navigate to the Designated Sites search to find the specifics of a particular SSSI. A list of ORNEC (Operations Requiring Natural England Consents) spells out which activities require you to contact them. It’s safe to assume that a campsite, whether temporary in nature or more permanent and requiring planning permission, will require this check. The process is the same across the UK but with different managing bodies. For campsites in Scottish SSSIs, head to the Nature Scot website. For Wales visit Natural Resources Wales and for Northern Ireland ASSIs visit the DAERA site.

Can I start a campsite in an SAC or an SPA?

An SAC is a Special Area of Conservation, which exists to protect the habitat of the native flora and fauna that is most in need of conservation. An SPA is a Special Protection Area, which does the same for birds. They are almost always SSSIs or ASSIs too; but offer a higher form of protection for the species that live there. Again, you can use Defra’s MAGIC Map (for land in England, Wales, and Scotland) or the Northern Irish Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs website to check for them. Thankfully however, they are managed with a more joined-up approach by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, which provides a list of nationwide SACs and SPAs.

Okay, phew, that’s all the background. The big question, of course, is, can you run a campsite in such a protected area? The answer here is, well, maybe. Whether it is a temporary campsite or one with permanent features requiring planning permission, the designation is to protect habitats and the powers that be (in this case, the local planning authority; either the council or a national parks authority) will want to carry out a Habitat Regulations Assessment. If your campsite doesn’t damage the habitats that the designation seeks to protect, it may be allowed.

It is worth noting that if you are a landowner and part of an Environmental Stewardship Scheme, you should check that operating a campsite does not put you in breach of the scheme.

This article was created by the Hipcamp team based on our years of experience, research, and local understanding. However, please note that this is still only our interpretation of UK regulations and does not constitute legal advice. Hipcamp does not accept responsibility for errors and omissions. Different conditions may apply depending on your individual circumstances and we recommend seeking professional advice on implementing the rules.

This article was first published on 12th April 2023.