If you've been looking into starting a glamping site, you've probably already encountered the planning permission question — and if you have, you'll know it's not a simple one.
The traditional route, applying for full planning permission for a campsite or glamping operation, is slow, uncertain and often produces results that are heavily restricted even when approved. Limits on the number of units, conditions on operating months, requirements that can fundamentally change what you were trying to build. Many landowners go through the process, get a decision they didn't want, and give up on the idea entirely.
There is a better route. And it's been used by landowners across the UK to open glamping sites without touching the planning system at all.
What is an exemption certificate?
Under paragraph 5 of the First Schedule of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, recognised camping clubs are legally authorised to certify sites without the need for planning permission. This means that landowners who become certified sites through an approved club can operate legally — including trading beyond the standard 28-day permitted development rule — without ever submitting a planning application.
Wanderlust Camping Club is fully authorised by Natural England to issue these certificates. We hold certificates for both caravans and camping, and can issue licences for up to five caravans, shepherd huts or pods, plus a number of camping pitches or glamping tents depending on the size and facilities of your site.
What does that mean in practice?
It means you can open. Properly, legally, and with far more freedom than the planning system would ever grant you. No arbitrary unit limits imposed by a planning committee. No lengthy application process eating up a season you could have spent trading. No list of conditions telling you what you can and can't do on your own land.
The certification process moves quickly enough that — if your site is suitable — you won't miss the next season.
What does Wanderlust look for?
Certification isn't automatic. We assess each site on its individual merits and we're genuinely selective. What we're looking for is simple: good accommodation, well-maintained facilities, and a host who's willing to go the extra mile for their guests. A site manager must live on or very close to the site.
There are some situations where certification isn't possible — open sites with little natural screening, sites very close to neighbours who might be adversely affected, land subject to enforcement action, or sites within the curtilage of a listed building. We'll always be upfront about this early in the process.
What else do members get?
Certification solves the legal question. But Wanderlust membership goes further than that.
Members get their site listed on our platform and promoted directly to an engaged audience of guests who are actively looking for small, independent, curated places to stay. Unlike some clubs, we place no advertising restrictions on our members — you can take your own bookings, use any platform you choose, and run your site your way. We also offer advice on setup, infrastructure, planning and supplier relationships, including priority access and discounts with shepherd hut manufacturers and glamping equipment suppliers.
The marketing problem — being found by the right guests in your first season — is one of the hardest things about launching a new site. Membership addresses it from day one.
Is your land suitable?
If you've got a plot with natural character, reasonable screening, and a genuine desire to create something worth staying at, it's worth finding out. The application process starts with a phone consultation, and we'll give you an honest assessment of whether certification is achievable and what it would take to get there.
[Apply now] or
[get in touch] to find out more.
