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Written question asked by James Cleverly (Conservative) on Friday, 5 September 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 9 September 2025. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 September 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Camping: Permitted Development Rights

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance (a) her Department and (b) Natural England has issued on whether a habitats regulation assessment screening is required for the exercise of 28 day camping allowed by permitted development rights.

Answer

Permitted development rights (PDRs) are subject to national conditions and limitations and therefore do not remove the need to comply with the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

HRAs require an evaluation of whether a plan or project, including those benefiting from PDR, is likely to adversely affect any habitat site designated under the Habitats Regulations and/or its qualifying feature(s), and for any harm to be mitigated before the plan or project proceeds (unless there are imperative reasons of overriding public interest, no alternatives and necessary compensation is secured).

Guidance on the HRA process is available on Habitats regulations assessments: protecting a European site - GOV.UK, and via Planning Practice Guidance: When is permission required? - GOV.UK.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
75443
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Camping sites Permitted development rights
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk