Farmers keen to cash in on a new trend for pop-up campsites have been warned they face a ‘risk minefield’ by an insurer.

The number of temporary sites has soared this summer, boosted by a change to planning policy and demand for staycations.

New regulations allow farmers in England to operate a campsite without planning permission for up to 56 days – double the usual 28-day limit – until the end of 2021.

But they may be contravening their insurance cover, warns broker Lycetts.

Matt McWhirter said: “Insurers may have strict conditions on such things as hygiene facilities, health and safety assessments, fire risk assessments and site access, and also impose restrictions on what the policy will cover, so farmers could be left exposed to gaps in protection."

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He added that opening up the land could also create a trespassing nuisance in the future but allowing the public on to working land was the most pressing issue.

“Agriculture has a notoriously high injury and fatality rate – higher than any other industry – with 34 deaths occurring in 2020/21, a 62 per cent rise on the previous year,” he said.

“Additional cover may be needed, such as public liability insurance, to mitigate against the risk of someone getting injured on site or making a claim.”