Plans for a new National Trust car park at Cheddar Gorge have been rejected due to concerns over the impact on local bat populations, much to the relief of wildlife advocates but dismay of motorists.
In September 2023, the National Trust proposed a 20-space pay-and-display car park at Black Rock Nature Reserve, located off B3135 Cliff Road, a popular access point for walkers and cyclists. The Trust aimed to reduce roadside parking and erosion caused by vehicles parking on verges while offering a water refill station for hikers.
After extensive consultations spanning over two years, Somerset Council refused the application, citing insufficient information on how the site’s protected bat species would be safeguarded. The location lies near the start of a public footpath atop the gorge—an area recently improved in collaboration with Heidelberg Materials.
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The proposed scheme included disabled parking bays, cycle stands, a one-way traffic system, and boulders to prevent further erosion near the footpath entrance. The Trust emphasized the project’s potential to reduce environmental damage caused by unmanaged roadside parking and improve visitor safety during vehicle access and egress.
However, opposition emerged from locals like Mrs. A Goodey of Wedmore, who feared that imposing parking charges would push drivers to park illegally along verges, exacerbating erosion and limiting access to the countryside. She expressed concerns that a pay-per-use car park could exclude lower-income families from enjoying the popular walking routes and diminish the area’s community value.
While Cheddar Parish Council supported the initiative with conditions—including a thorough bat survey—the Mendip Hills National Landscape team remained worried that verge parking might continue regardless of the new facility.
Somerset Council’s planning officer, Dean Titchener, acknowledged the benefits of controlled parking but concluded that the lack of adequate ecological data posed unacceptable risks to the North Somerset and Mendip Special Area of Conservation, home to protected bats. Without evidence ensuring the species’ protection, the development was deemed harmful.
The National Trust has yet to announce whether it will appeal the decision. In the meantime, visitors to Cheddar Gorge will have to continue managing with limited parking spaces, preserving the bats’ habitat but complicating motorist access.