Running a campsite, written up properly
Practical advice, industry news and product updates for people running campsites, caravan parks and holiday parks in the UK.
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A Scottish holiday park's expansion plan: 25 lodges built partly for ferry and construction workers, not just holidaymakers
Tarbert Holiday Park in Argyll has applied to add 25 lodges and four glamping pods, partly retrospective, with two lodges built for residential use. The reason: CalMac ferry staff and infrastructure contractors need somewhere to stay, and that demand runs all year, not just in the season.
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Highland Council proposes a £2-a-night levy for campsites and caravan parks
Highland Council is consulting on a £2-a-night levy for campsites and caravan parks — and is separately asking for power to tax off-site campervans too. What's proposed, the loophole, and how it compares to Edinburgh and Wales.
Park Holidays UK sold in £768m deal
One of the UK's largest holiday park operators has changed hands in a £768m deal — completed the same week a rival debt-funded operator went into administration. What both stories mean for independent site owners.
What a Temporary Campsite Application Looks Like When It Works
A 15-pitch temporary site near Penrith ran its full 59 days this summer and came down exactly as planned — approved without a single condition attached. Here is what it put in front of the council.
Three Years, No Complaints, Still Refused
A glamping pod near Kilgetty traded for three years without a single complaint. The retrospective planning application to keep it was refused this month — and being removable did not help.
Making Tax Digital: HMRC Has Started Auto-Enrolling the Stragglers
Mandatory since April for sole traders and landlords over £50k qualifying income. If you have not signed up, HMRC is no longer waiting — auto-enrolment began this month, in stages.
What OTA Commission Actually Costs a Campsite
Booking.com takes 15–20%. Pitchup takes 15%. Campsites.co.uk is 10% plus VAT. All of them take that cut whether the guest found you through them or already knew your name — and that second group is where the money leaks.
Holiday-let business rates under review
The Treasury is reviewing whether self-catering holiday lets — including static caravans and lodges let on parks — should move from business rates onto council tax. Here's what's actually being reviewed, and what to watch before the 28 October Budget.
A big park operator just went into administration. What it means for smaller sites
Cove Communities Holiday Park UK, the group built in 2022 on an £100m purchase of Argyll Holidays, has gone into administration across ten of its eleven UK sites. What the administrators said caused it, and what it's worth checking in your own numbers.
Short-term let register gets a date: what it means
England's mandatory short-term and holiday-let register finally has a target launch of March 2027 — but whether it applies to a licensed campsite or park is still an open question. Here's what's confirmed and what to watch for.
Certificate of lawful use: what a Welsh campsite got wrong
A Pembrokeshire campsite that's operated since 1972 was refused a certificate of lawful use this month. The problem wasn't the site — it was the evidence. Here's what the ten-year rule actually requires you to keep.
England: new overnight visitor levy
English mayors can now add a tax to every overnight stay in their area — and can choose to exempt campsites. Nothing is decided yet in most places. Here's what's confirmed and how to check your own area.
Wales: temporary campsite days rise to 60, not for caravans
From 1 September 2026, Wales allows a temporary tent, campervan or motorhome pitch for up to 60 days a year without full planning permission, up from 28. Touring caravans are excluded, and National Parks stay at 28 days.
From one CL pitch to a full site: booking software for farm diversification campsites
Adding a handful of pitches or a couple of glamping pods to a working farm is one of the most common ways a UK holiday site gets started. The booking software you pick at that stage shouldn't cost more than the diversification itself is bringing in yet.
Wales visitor accommodation register 2026
Every paid overnight stay in Wales must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority from October 2026. Here's the deadline, the penalty, what the levy will actually cost campsites, and how one Welsh site is already responding.
Martyn's Law for holiday parks: what standard tier actually means if you're over 200 guests
Martyn's Law names holiday parks directly. Here's the 200-person test, why a gated or checked-in touring park is probably in scope even though it's outdoors, and what standard tier actually asks you to do before enforcement starts.
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