Somerset Council has thrown out the National Trust's plan for a car park at Black Rock in Cheddar Gorge. The application, first submitted in 2023, was rejected on the basis of "insufficient information" as to how the impact on bats would be mitigated.
Local campaigner Graham Godwin-Pearson says, "I'm glad that the council has seen sense over the car park at Black Rock, and frankly a little disappointed that the National Trust pursued the idea.
"What we need instead of another car park is to get more people out of cars - walking and cycling to explore our stunning natural landscapes and experience nature firsthand."
The Cheddar Gorge area is a crucial habitat for several bat species including Natterer's bats, Whiskered bats, Daubenton's bats and Long-eared bats, within the woodland areas, and endangered Greater Horseshoe bats, Lesser Horseshoe bats in the caves themselves. The Gorge is part of the North Somerset and Mendip Bats Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
