The National Trust is appealing a decision to refuse one of the most contentious planning applications to ever be submitted in mid-Cornwall, writes Local Democracy Reporter Lee Trewehla in the Falmouth Packet.

The Trust applied to increase parking at its Trelissick estate at Feock, near Truro, to meet growing visitor demand and stop queuing cars, which at peak periods during the summer are known to back up on to the B3289. The road leads to the King Harry Ferry crossing over the River Fal to the Roseland peninsula.

In May a Cornwall Council committee refused the bid to increase parking by 104 spaces to 524, by altering the current car park to include 299 spaces and create an additional 225-space car park on woodland and orchard space on Dicky Lane on the opposite side of the road. The work would have included a pedestrian crossing leading from the new car park to the house, gardens and riverside parkland.

It was the crossing which particularly vexed a meeting of the council’s central sub-area planning committee. Many councillors were concerned it would lead to tailbacks and delays, passengers and emergency vehicles missing ferry crossings, and even road rage from angry drivers desperate to get to the ferry on time. The plan received over 120 public objections with just three in support.

The reason for refusal was given as “the proposed development, by virtue of its scale and form into undeveloped countryside and the specific design of the crossing results in a discordant element and visual intrusion resulting in unacceptable harm to the Cornish National Landscape to which great weight must be given and the setting of the registered garden of Trelissick”.

The National Trust is now appealing the decision. Its notice states: “We challenge the reason for refusal on the following three grounds: “That the proposal will not result in unacceptable harm to the Cornish National Landscape (which was formerly known as the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – AONB).

“That the proposal will not result in unacceptable harm to the setting of the registered garden of Trelissick or to any heritage asset.

“That the benefits of the scheme significantly outweigh any impacts on the National Landscape and the heritage asset.”

The Trust added: “It is demonstrated from our submissions, the findings of the Cormac Road Safety Assessment and the comments provided by the Highways Officer that the proposal will deliver improved highway safety for users of the road passing through the site, as well as the on-site safety of staff, visitors and volunteers.

“The proposal will ensure that Trelissick Gardens, as one of Cornwall’s key tourist attractions, is able to provide in a safe and sustainable manner, for the growing number of visitors to the region and residents living in the region. In doing so, the proposal will deliver material benefits to the regional economy, including by the retention of its employees, who will benefit from a safer, less stressful and more accessible place of work.”

The appeal has been met with anger by local businesses which opposed the original application due to road safety concerns among other reasons.

Tim Smithies, chairman of Cornwall Ferries Ltd, said: “The Trust are now appealing the decision without any substantive changes to their plans apart from promising to ‘remediate’ the loss of trees by the addition of 250 car parking spaces.

“The Trust has also ignored a traffic study it belatedly commissioned itself which arrived three days before the original planning meeting. Not considered in that meeting or by Cornwall Highways Department, their current model is based on erroneous traffic flows and the NT are continuing to refuse to take into account the correct data into the design of the proposed crossing.”

Garrick Royle, managing director of the King Harry Ferry, is concerned about the impact on safety and traffic flows which he believes was not fully reviewed at the planning meeting. He said: “The assessment of the latest modelling commissioned by the National Trust demonstrates that vehicles will be delayed at the new proposed ‘pinch point’ (the narrowing of the carriageway to single traffic) at the top of the hill, so that not only will ferries be missed, but the proposed narrowing of the highway and the uncontrolled crossing of a road on a bend will greatly increase the hazards to the pedestrians and drivers on the road.

“We believe the proposed road crossing is dangerous and will massively impact the community on the Roseland and Feock by the delays experienced through blocking the current orderly queuing and traffic flows at ferry arrival and departure times. There is a serviceable bridge which crosses the road safely which the National Trust is not considering as an alternative safer route or other ideas we have contributed.”

A planning inspector has been appointed to oversee the appeal. All those who previously objected received notice on November 6 and all new and further representations must be made by December 9.