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Gas BBQ rules on a UK campsite

Updated: 16.10.2026

You are booking a Camping and Caravanning Club pitch, or reading a site rule about barbecues, and you want to know if the gas barbecue in the car is allowed. Gas BBQ rules on a UK campsite start with a place: outside, raised off the ground, and never in the unit. A working flame does not move that place into the awning. This page follows the Club site policies, the Club’s camping-safety note, Cheshire Fire, the Health and Safety Executive and GOV.UK’s outdoor fire guidance, read on 15 October 2026. The [camping gas barbecue comparison](/hub/portable-grills/camping-gas-barbecue) is the hardware. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are booking a Camping and Caravanning Club pitch, or reading a site rule about barbecues, and you want to know if the gas barbecue in the car is allowed.

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On this page
  1. 1.What the Club site terms allow
  2. 2.Why the awning is still indoors
  3. 3.Disposables, campfires and cylinder size
  4. 4.Your site may be stricter

What the Club site terms allow

On a Club site, clause 5.13 of the UK site policies allows a portable barbecue outside, raised off the ground, and forbids taking it into the unit. A barbecue gives off carbon monoxide, so the outdoor rule and the indoor ban are one decision. Raised off the ground means the barbecue is not sat on the grass. The clause prints no brick height and no brand. You use a stand, a table or the legs the barbecue already has, outside the unit. Campfires are a separate ban under clause 6.2. A gas flame on a raised stand is what 5.13 describes. A fire on the soil is clause 6.2. The how-to sequence starts only after that place is settled.

Why the awning is still indoors

The Club’s camping-safety page says barbecues produce carbon monoxide even when they are working, and it tells you not to cook in a tent or an awning. Cheshire Fire says fuel-burning devices stay out of tents, and that open flaps are not enough. The Health and Safety Executive describes carbon monoxide as colourless and odourless. The Club sentence still covers the awning. UKHSA and the Club both mention an alarm. An alarm warns you if carbon monoxide is already in the air. It is not a licence to cook inside, and it does not make a porch acceptable.
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Disposables, campfires and cylinder size

Clause 5.13 also says disposable barbecues were not permitted on Club sites until further notice. That is about trays left low in the grass. It is a Club condition, not a rule for every other site. Clause 6.4 limits a gas cylinder to 15 kg in the unit’s compartment. That is locker storage, not a cooking allowance. GOV.UK’s outdoor fire guidance says you change cylinders outdoors, with the flame out. A reusable gas barbecue is a different object from a disposable tray. The Club pages name no brand. If your confirmation allows a tray, the portable grill comparison is the other page.

Your site may be stricter

The Club text is one operator’s conditions. It is not a rule for every UK campsite. Another site can refuse gas, refuse charcoal, cut the cylinder limit, or ban barbecues in dry weather. Read the pitch confirmation before you pack the grate. If that PDF is silent, ask the site and keep the reply. A Club booking in Northern Ireland follows the same policies. A Republic of Ireland site is outside this reading unless the paperwork says otherwise.

Common questions

Can I use a gas barbecue on a Camping and Caravanning Club site?
Clause 5.13 of the Club’s UK site policies allows a portable barbecue outside, raised off the ground. The same clause says you do not take it into the unit, because of carbon monoxide. The pages name no brand and no minimum stand height. Legs, a table or a stand meet “raised” when the barbecue is off the grass and still outdoors. A campfire on the ground stays banned under clause 6.2, whatever the barbecue clause allows.
Can it go in the awning if it rains?
The Club’s camping-safety page says you do not cook in a tent or an awning, because a barbecue produces carbon monoxide even when it is working. Cheshire Fire says open flaps are not enough and that fuel-burning devices stay out of tents. Rain is when the rule is tested, and the published text adds no exception for a quick finish. Leave the barbecue outside, away from the canvas. An alarm is not permission to pull the cooker under cover.
Are disposable barbecues allowed?
On Club sites, clause 5.13 says disposable barbecues were not permitted until further notice. That is a Club condition, and other UK sites can differ. A reusable gas barbecue is a different object from a disposable tray, which is why some shoppers in these reviews bought a cartridge grill. The Club text endorses no brand. Check the current policy page and your pitch confirmation, because a suspension until further notice can change.
How big a cylinder can I store?
Clause 6.4 limits a gas cylinder to 15 kg in the unit’s compartment. That is locker storage, not an instruction that the barbecue must run from a 15 kg bottle, and not a limit printed on the grills in this comparison. Change cylinders outdoors, with the flame out, which is the GOV.UK point. A small camping cartridge is a different object from a cylinder in that compartment. If your site states a lower limit, the booking wins.
Do I need a carbon monoxide alarm?
UKHSA and the Club both mention an alarm, and the HSE describes carbon monoxide as colourless and odourless, so you will not see it or smell it in an awning. An alarm in the unit is a warning if a heater is faulty or if a barbecue has been brought inside. It does not authorise cooking in the tent, the porch or the awning. Keep the barbecue outside, as clause 5.13 requires, and treat a sounding alarm as a reason to get everyone into the air.
Does this apply to every UK campsite?
These clauses are Camping and Caravanning Club site policies, plus notes from the Club, Cheshire Fire, the HSE and GOV.UK. They are not one law for every farm site, forestry pitch or certificated location. Another operator can be stricter, can ban barbecues, or can still allow a disposable the Club has suspended. Read the pitch confirmation. When it conflicts with a forum habit, the confirmation is the rule for that stay.

Related pages

Camping gas barbecue buying guide

Disposable barbecues on Club sites

Camping gas barbecue

Best camping gas bbq: who it suits, and who skips it

Camping bbq cartridge or gas bottle: four fittings

How to use a camping gas barbecue: on level ground

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings checked on 15 October 2026. Retrieved 15 October 2026.

  1. Camping and Caravanning Club site policies (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  2. Camping and Caravanning Club camping safety (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  3. BSI BS EN 521:2019 scope (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  4. BSI BS EN 498:2012 scope (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  5. GOV.UK gas appliances enforcement (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  6. HSE carbon monoxide FAQ (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  7. Scouts, using stoves safely (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  8. Campingaz Party Grill 200 instructions (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  9. Cheshire Fire camping safety (retrieved 15.10.2026)