South Gloucestershire councillors have unanimously approved the extension of a car park into an agricultural field at Tolldown Farm, Dyrham, to serve a new farm shop and cafe, despite planning officers’ recommendation to refuse the proposal. The vote stood at 8 in favor with one abstention.
Planning officers raised concerns that the expansion would harm the rural character of the area and pointed out a lack of sufficient justification for the additional spaces. However, 18 local residents expressed their support for the application submitted by John Doubleday, who has farmed the land for 45 years.
The development management committee agreed that the 30 parking spaces planned for the farm shop—currently under construction and to be operated by the Fine Cheese Company—would not increase the total number of bays but rather reorganize the existing car park to improve safety.
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The officers’ report highlighted the sensitive location of the site within the Cotswolds National Landscape, adjacent to the greenbelt and opposite a Grade II-listed pub. It also noted that the application was a resubmission of a previously rejected plan, with no significant changes made.
The report warned that adding more parking spaces would intensify the site’s impact, causing visual disruption and detracting from the scenic countryside’s openness and character. Concerns remained unaddressed since the number of spaces had not been reduced.
During the meeting, planning agent Matthew Blaken emphasized that the car park extension would cover a modest section of the field to reorganize existing bays rather than increase capacity, helping to alleviate road parking problems. He also noted that the farm shop’s launch is expected to create 15 new jobs.
South Gloucestershire Council’s highways officer, Ali Khayatian, confirmed that the proposed access point is safe due to good visibility on a straight road, with no new access points being added.
Committee chairman Cllr Tristan Clark stated: “The benefits of supporting local business outweigh the level of harm to the Cotswolds National Landscape.”
The farm shop and cafe received initial planning permission in 2021, which included partial demolition of a bakery and construction of new facilities.