Game park or car park, the £60m question...

The WSP Report identified a field to the south of the existing park and ride as suitable for a car park and in 2005 the Public Enquiry Inspector recognised that 900 car spaces could be accommodated on that field. It is incomprehensible that neither B&NES Council nor the Consultant Planning Officer brought in to supervise this application, has realised it.

Furthermore, the land proposed for the park and ride extension is a Nature Reserve. Given there is a relatively low grade field (in biodiversity terms) to the south it is not permissible under planning rules to approve an application to develop a park and ride on a Nature Reserve.

The Council has failed to comprehend the damage a car park would do to the Nature Reserve. It would render the whole Newbridge Slopes Nature Reserve unviable due to fragmentation, resulting in significant loss of locally, regionally and nationally important species which are but indicators of the value of the site.

The Applicant’s interpretation of the impact of the destruction of this range of habitats is fraudulent and these issues have been lodged with the Regional Office.

Mitigation versus biodiversity damage - all consultees agree this will be inadequate and irrelevant.