Fears planning rules could force festivals to leave Wales

Festival organisers have said they could be forced to move in 2026 because of new rules to control temporary campsites.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority members have supported plans that will force landowners to apply for planning permission for pop-up campsites which can exist for up to 28 days a year.

Festival organiser Amber Lort-Phillips said her "Big Retreat" wellbeing festival may have to move to England in 2026.

The authority said the new rules were designed to "create a level playing field" and claimed they had "strong support".

Under current rules, landowners can open temporary campsites in Wales under "permitted development" for up to 28 days a year.

In England it is 60 days, and the Welsh government will soon consult on extending the period in the rest of Wales.

The Pembrokeshire park authority is the only one in Wales to plan tighter restrictions since tougher rules were drawn up for Gower in 1977.

The two other national parks in Wales have no plans to change the 28-day rule.

Although there will be no effect on festivals with temporary campsites in 2025, Ms Lort-Phillips fears her four day wellbeing festival in Lawrenny, which brings an estimated £1m to the local economy, could have to move next year.

"It's essential. We couldn't run without our permitted development, because it's how we run our campsite.

"The impact is we might have to move it. It's our home for the Big Retreat and it's not fair. We are potentially having to look at other sites and move the festival outside of Wales."

She claimed there was "no real evidence" for a blanket approach and there was no guarantee temporary campsites would get planning permission.

The National Park said it "aims to prioritise applications" to minimise delays.

The Pembrokeshire authority's chief executive, Tegryn Jones, told BBC Wales there was "no control" over temporary campsites and they took up 12% of the authority's enforcement time.

He said pop-up campsites led to a "stream of complaints" and they were "seeking to take a small measure to even the playing field".

The measures have been supported by Ben Carden from the Woodlands Champions Club which runs 16 sites in Pembrokeshire.

"Quite often, there are serious implications with pop-up campsites," he said.

"There can be noise nuisance for local residents. I attended one pop-up campsite that had over 200 pitches, which had just three toilets and one washbasin.

"There needs to be a standard of camping."

Joe Worley who runs Westival, a music festival based in Manorbier which attracts about 2,500 visitors every June, said he had not "received any direct consultation".

The change "came as a big shock", he said.

"The [2026] event wouldn't be able to go ahead without the campsite. If we couldn't get planning permitted on that particular field, that could mean moving to a new site.

"It feels quite damaging to a lot of businesses."

The authority said 120 people responded to a public consultation, which equates to about 0.5% of the park's population of 23,000.

Many complained about the effect on landscape, biodiversity, pressure on local infrastructure and noise.

But Ms Lort-Phillips criticised the consultation process and said the measures would harm "economic development" in the park.

Mr Jones said he "did not accept that".

Dai Williams set up a temporary campsite on his land near Druidstone in 2021 to provide extra income which he said had a "fantastic response" from visitors.

He argued that the park's plans were a "knee-jerk" reaction to the post-Covid surge in visitors, warning that the new regulations might "shut down" businesses.

A further consultation is being held until 21 February with a final decision expected in the spring. The changes are due to come into force on 1 January 2026.