The National Trust has been criticised for its “car-dependent business model” after revealing plans to build the Peak District’s biggest car park while pledging to be net carbon zero by 2030.
The heritage body wants to build a 1,065-space car park at Lyme Park, a stately home set in 560 hectares (1,400 acres) on the fringes of the national park, just outside Greater Manchester.
Home to the Legh family for more than 600 years, it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1946 “for the health, education and delight of the people”.
About 300,000 people a year visit the historic hunting estate, famed for its deer and reflecting lake, where Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy got soggy in the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Though Disley station is less than a mile from the park gates, most visitors drive to Lyme via the notoriously clogged A6, with 199,945 vehicles arriving in 2019.
It is free to walk or cycle into the park, but the National Trust charges all non-members who arrive by car, with prices currently set at £6 per adult and £3 a child.
The National Trust insisted it was not adding any new parking spaces overall, but admitted that 670 of its current “overflow” spaces on grass could only be used in good weather. The new plans do not include any extra bike parking provision, but the new car park will be built near one of the most popular walking and cycling routes into Lyme, at West Park Gate, prompting concerns about pedestrian and cycle safety.
A petition has been drawn up calling on the National Trust to support a raft of car reduction measures, including reinstating a park and ride scheme that was shelved due to Covid.
Tanya Braun, the director of policy and communications at Living Streets, a national walking charity, said: “We need to stop designing places around cars and start thinking about what people want and need. It’s disappointing that there are no accompanying plans to improve access for people walking.
“Adding in safe and accessible walking routes will enable more people to choose to walk, helping to cut congestion and air pollution. Without improving options for more sustainable transport modes, it will force people into their cars and exclude those without access to one from enjoying National Trust properties.”
Harry Gray, of Walk Ride Greater Manchester, a walking and cycling campaign group, said: “It’s concerning how reliant the National Trust are on a car-dependant business model. It is time to invest in greener transport modes, such as better access for Active Travel, as well as park and ride links to the nearby train station. The National Trust claim they’re ‘part of the global fight against climate change’ – yet their actions on the ground speak otherwise.”
Mark Cocker, an author and naturalist, said the plans “go against everything that is required by anyone in and around a national park. What we need is policies where nature is absolutely front and centre of what is what is offered, especially in relationship to national parks, because theoretically they could become major reservoirs of biodiversity.”
Anthony Sheridan, who runs the Peaks and Puddles cycling blog, said: “Despite its 2025 strategy having two clear aims to ‘take action on climate change’ and ‘make everyone welcome’, the National Trust’s future business model clearly still relies far too heavily on private cars being driven to its sites. ‘Free parking’ is the first perk listed in most membership promotions, with no incentive or discount for car-free visitors. Here in Greater Manchester, 31% of households have no access to a car. This proposal does nothing to improve their access, nor to build for more sustainable, less car-dependent income.”
Natural England chose not to object to the new car park, believing “the proposed development will not have significant adverse impacts on statutorily protected nature conservation sites or landscapes”.
More than 150 objections have been lodged on the planning application, with the deadline to comment on the application recently extended to 9 May.
A National Trust spokesperson said: “Lyme currently has a total of 1,000 car parking spaces, but many cannot be used during wet weather. We are not increasing the overall number of spaces but we are upgrading facilities and infrastructure to make it more resilient to extreme weather events.
“We’ve carried out preliminary ecological surveys to minimise any impact and will be reverting the existing car park to rich grassland habitat. In previous trials, park and ride hasn’t reduced the overall number of visitors arriving by car, but we will continue working with groups and individuals to find more sustainable ways that people can travel to Lyme.”
