Ambitious plans to build a brand-new car park at the entrance to Flushing looks to have run into a dead end after the parish council acknowledged it couldn’t afford it.

However, they have held off from parking the plan after agreeing to a proposal from Cllr Rachael Pashley to look into alternative funding.

At a ‘heated’ meeting at Flushing Village Hall last week councillors voted on a proposal from council chairman Cllr John Symons, seconded by Cllr Pat Willmore, that “this council is unable to facilitate the provision of a car park in Flushing”.

However, councillors also voted to support a proposal from Cllr Rachael Pashley that a public meeting be held to ascertain potential investment in a car park at Flushing by way of a CIC (Community Interest Company).

The car park would occupy a field at the end of its access road Bramblebank off the bend on St Peters Road at the entrance to the village.

Flushing has long been plagued by parking problems and a new 100 space car park in a field off the entrance to the village was seen as a way of resolving it.

However, the vote means the idea now hangs in the balance unless they come up with alternative funding.

Parking has long been a problem in FlushingParking has long been a problem in Flushing (Image: Staff)

Cllr Symons told the Packet that it was felt that the parish council did not have the expertise to take it further that’s why [the decision], as Cllr Pashley has contacts in this field, was made to look further.

Cllr Pashley told the Packet she didn’t wish to say anything at this stage.

In 2022 a public meeting about the plans was held when people heard from landscape architect Mike Hawes from Mei Loci about the design of the car park which would occupy a field near the Falmouth Boat Company yard at the end of its access road.

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He told the meeting the car park would be constructed of a 'cellular retention system' made from recycled plastics and be located at the bottom of the field with room for 100 spaces.

In January this year Cornwall Council gave the plan the go-ahead, but car park needed funding which hasn’t so far materialised.

Parking problems have been growing in the village for many years with several car parking sites already rejected and the sheep field seen as the last throw of the dice.

Concerns were raised about the construction of a car park in an area of outstanding natural beauty and who would be able to use it, whether it would be just visitors, locals or both.