National Trust overflow car park use extended

Planning officers granted permission under delegated powers for the area to be used 80 days a year

An overflow parking area at a north Devon beauty spot will be used by the National Trust for an extra 52 days of the year.

North Devon Council planning officers granted permission under delegated powers for the trust to use the site at Baggy Point in Croyde for 80 days a year.

The trust, which also has a 90 space car park, currently opens the overflow site for 28 days per year under a permitted development allowance.

North Devon National Landscape, formerly AONB, objected the trust's initial proposal to use the land for 120 days.

Current allowance breached

It said 110 extra vehicles parking at any point in the year would potentially have a visual impact and damage the grass, leaving "a scar on the landscape" during the autumn and winter.

Georgeham Parish Council also opposed the plan, claiming more vehicles and use of the trust's parking areas would have an unacceptable impact on local roads.

Local residents who were not in favour of allowing more use of the overflow area criticised the trust for breaching its 28-day allowance.

The applicants admitted they had used the car park more than its permitted allowance.

Since 2021 it has been used more than 130 days a year.

The National Trust was happy to accept a planning condition stating no use of the overflow area during November to February, so grass could grow, and visual impact would not be an issue.