The National Trust has responded to accusations that it is “ploughing ahead” with controversial plans to build a 250 car park at Trelissick without consulting with local stakeholders.

The application for a new car park and road crossing at the National Trust’s Trelissick has been called in for consideration by Cornwall Council’s planning department next week, Tuesday, May 7.

Hundreds of local people, businesses and parish councils have made their opinions known in the consultation.

Enterprise Boats, a ferry service operated by Cornwall Ferries Ltd which run regular boat trips to and from Trelissick, has accused the trust of not consulting with key stakeholders.

In a statement issued this week, Cornwall Ferries Ltd said despite it being a key transport provider to Trelissick, Cornwall Ferries Ltd was not involved in the consultation process and the travel strategy through lack of engagement from the National Trust.

It said: “Cornwall Ferries Ltd is disappointed that, despite overwhelming local objections to the controversial new car park for a variety of reasons, the National Trust is ploughing ahead with their plan to build a new 250 space car park on ancient orchards and woodland, without engaging with local partners to find an acceptable solution and provide more sustainable access to Trelissick.”

It says a primary concern is the lack of consideration of lower carbon transport alternatives available: improved access by bus, cycle and passenger ferries would create many more opportunities to visit from Truro, Malpas, Falmouth and St Mawes without the need to build a 250 space car park over an ancient orchard.

It says assets are already in existence such as the Trelissick pontoon which can already provide access to the site from the river but are under-utilised, bus services and cycle access could be improved, and a traffic management plan ought to be in place that looks at the ‘big picture’ of how Trelissick could be a part of pioneering sustainable transport and reducing car reliance.

Tim Smithies as chairman of Cornwall Ferries wrote to the Chief Executive of the National Trust, Hilary McGrady, in November 2023.

He urged her to look at a co-ordinated, comprehensive green transport plan for rural communities and visitors. He questioned the apparent National Trust policy of driving new car traffic to rural destinations.

“We pointed to the obvious contradiction between National Trust policy on climate change and their actions at Trelissick with no coordinated sustainable travel strategy,” he said.

“We were disappointed to receive no direct reply from Hilary McGrady, but instead were referred back to the Trelissick House and park local management, whose commercial ideas for new retail opportunities in the parkland we were already familiar with. No consultation has been made since the original plans were published to create the new car park.”

He called on the National Trust to pull back from the building of the car park and road crossing until it has properly consulted partners on how to align its development plans more on community and green transport rather than its own “narrow commercial interests” which, it says, will cause detrimental environmental damage.

In reply The National Trust said the new car park at Trelissick had been carefully considered in consultation with Cornwall Council, local parish council, neighbours, partners and businesses for a long time. It said it is part of a wider project to ensure that Trelissick has a sustainable future and can continue to cater for its increasing numbers of visitors.

It said the car park will not be built on the site of the orchard, but on land outside of the Grade II* listed park & garden, to improve access to the northern parts of the estate and the wider countryside.

“The new parking site will help improve Trelissick’s green travel opportunities through the inclusion of ten EV charging points, a dedicated bus stop, coach parking bays, a new cycle route and multiple cycle parking racks,” it said.

“In addition, we are part of a pilot scheme with Good Journey who will create a bespoke alternative transport plan for Trelissick showcasing the many ways of accessing the estate through non-car options.

“To ensure safe access to the entire Trelissick estate for everyone, we have worked with highways experts to develop plans for a crossing point from the new car park, which will be staffed at peak times to aid with visitor and vehicle flow if needed. Traffic surveys we have conducted show that traffic flow will be very marginally affected by this crossing at peak times only.”

It said it welcomed all feedback regarding these changes and will continue to work with its supporters to help make Trelissick ready for the future.