Castle Acre summer car park plan in bid to ease traffic congestion rejected

A scheme to try to ease traffic congestion in the heart of the historic village of Castle Acre during the summer season has been rejected.

The parish council had come up with proposals for a 40-space car park on a two-acre field west of Priory Road on the edge of the village.

The aim was to reduce traffic congestion in the village centre in the summer when the village, its priory and its castle draw streams of visitors.

But the proposed scheme has been turned down by West Norfolk Council planning officers on a number of grounds - mainly based on concern over narrow inadequate roads creating safety issues for vehicles and pedestrians.

The car park was accepted in the village Neighbourhood Plan 2022 but the formal application has resulted in 19 formal objections. Although they were mostly from residents living close to the proposed car park, Norfolk County Council also recommended refusal.

The planners had been told that due to increased traffic Castle Acre suffers considerable congestion, disruption and increased risk of accidents during the summer tourist season. Much of this occurs around Stocks Green, the western end of Priory Road, Bailey Street and Pye’s Lane and on-street parking on pavements and verges also causes problems for emergency vehicles, large service vehicles and coaches.

The Priory Road field is occasionally used as a parking amenity for private and charity events organised by village residents and local group and Holkham Estate was prepared to grant a lease for the use of the field as a seasonal car park from April to the end of September from 9am to 6pm.

The council had stated that it was difficult to find a parking site in the village because of the historic and rural nature of the settlement and its development.

Council planners were concerned about the access to the field along a single-vehicle width road with two near-90 degree bends and poor visibility.

Their report commented: “Drivers are unable to make an informed safety judgement when leaving or approaching the site as to whether or not they are likely to encounter traffic that being vehicular/ pedestrian or cycle.

“The intention is for visitors to park at the application site and then walk back to village attractions and facilities, principally found on Priory Road.

“The pedestrians will be required to compete for space on the carriageway with those vehicles accessing the priory, the bus depot and then these further 40 car park spaces as there is no dedicated pedestrian provision.

“While we would accept that this is the case to some degree now, it is the intensification of traffic that is of concern.

“Therefore, it is considered that an approval of this application would result in additional conflict and conditions to the detriment of highway safety, and we therefore recommend that the application be refused.”