A park-and-ride facility near the popular Quantock Lakes wedding venue in Nether Stowey, Somerset, could remain operational until 2030 if EDF Energy’s latest application is approved by Somerset Council.
Originally granted permission in March 2017, the 160-space park-and-ride serves as a key transportation hub for workers traveling to the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station construction site. Designed to minimize private car use, the site helps meet the project’s requirement that at least 87% of its workforce commute by bus under its development consent order.
The permission for the facility has been extended multiple times due to the gradual pace of construction. The current approval officially expires on December 31, 2025. EDF Energy now seeks to keep the park-and-ride open until the end of 2030 to support the ongoing influx of workers.
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Located north of the A39 and adjacent to a campsite housing over 140 caravans, the park-and-ride accommodates both visitors and local residents. As construction ramps up, the workforce is expected to peak at approximately 15,000 employees by 2028.
To manage this growth, EDF has already expanded other nearby park-and-ride sites. Additional parking spaces were approved in July 2025 at Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Football Club locations, and EDF has applied to extend the lease at the Taunton Gateway park-and-ride near junction 25 of the M5.
Principal planner Emma Chorley emphasized that the application involves no new development or increased vehicle movements but is simply a request to continue the temporary facility in support of this nationally significant infrastructure project.
Somerset Council is anticipated to make a decision on the application by early spring. Due to the urgency, the ruling will likely be made by planning officers through delegated powers rather than by the planning committee for the former Sedgemoor area.