South Gloucestershire councillors have unanimously approved the expansion of a car park onto an agricultural field at Tolldown Farm, Dyrham, to support a new farm shop and cafe near Bristol — going against the recommendations of planning officers.
The planning officers had advised refusal, citing concerns that the proposal would harm the rural character of the area and lacked sufficient justification. The farm shop and cafe are managed by the Fine Cheese Company and currently under construction.
Despite these concerns, the Development Management Committee voted 8-0 with one abstention to approve the car park extension. Local community support was strong, with 18 residents submitting letters backing the application, led by John Doubleday, who has farmed the land for 45 years.
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The proposed extension will add approximately 30 parking spaces for visitors and staff. However, the applicant and planning agent Matthew Blaken clarified that no new spaces would be added; rather, the existing car park layout will be reorganised onto the adjacent agricultural field to improve safety and prevent on-road parking.
The officers’ report highlighted that the site lies within the open countryside of the Cotswolds National Landscape, adjacent to the greenbelt and opposite a Grade II-listed pub. A previous application for the expansion was refused in December of the previous year, and the resubmitted plan made no significant changes to address earlier objections.
The report raised concerns about visual intrusion and intensification of the site’s impact on the scenic landscape, stating: “The proposed additional spaces would further result in an intensification of the site to a harmful degree, amounting to a visual intrusion of the landscape and its vista and, if allowed, would detract from the scenic beauty that the openness and character of the surrounding countryside currently offers.”
While no highway safety objections were raised, officers questioned whether the increased parking demand was sufficiently justified. South Gloucestershire Council’s highway officer Ali Khayatian confirmed that the new access is safe and that the extension would close one access point rather than add another.
During the committee meeting on May 15, Cllr Tristan Clark, chairman of the committee, expressed his support for the development: “The benefits of supporting local business outweigh the level of harm to the Cotswolds National Landscape.”
The farm shop and cafe were originally granted planning permission in 2021, including partial demolition and extensions to the existing bakery structure. The development is expected to create 15 new jobs locally, adding economic support to the community.