THE TOWN council has been urged to use “consultation over conflict” as a storm broke over plans to use part of Asker Meadows as a temporary car park.

Bridport Town Council wants to turn the showground area of Asker Meadows into car parking for up to 100 cars on some Saturdays during the summer.

At Monday’s plans committee, councillors agreed to carry consult on the plans, but ignored calls from the public to withdraw the application.

Ged Duncan spoke out in the public forum. He said: “I would like to urge the council to go down the route of consultation and not conflict.

“There has been virtually no notice about this application to the extent that several of the councillors I contacted about it haven’t known themselves about an application and certainly not the extent of it. I am asking you to withdraw the application at this stage because there has been insufficient consultation with the people it affects.

“There is also a short-sightedness of the opportunity to make something quite innovative and sustainable in terms of parking and getting access to the town.”

Mr Duncan also asked councillors what their brief was when the authority agreed to manage Asker Meadows and said there would be a “maelstrom of opposition” to the plans.

Cllr Dave Rickard urged the council for “a little bit of good PR”.

He said: “Our brief was to take it under our management and we have designated that field as the festivals field.

“It is not, per se, part of the conservation area. It will be managed and it will be used for grazing in the normal way.”

“We need to point out that this will be of benefit.”

Town clerk Bob Gillis, told the meeting that the council could request the application is not determined until a consultation with the public is carried out.

He said: “The deadline for comments is May 21.

“The council is very proud if its record with consultation. There will be more consultation on it.

“I can assure people that there will be time for comments to be considered and the town council will take those into consideration before the council asks for the application to be determined.”

As part of the change of use application the council also wants to put up a temporary classroom for courses in traditional skills, dry stone walling and hedge laying on the site.

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Gillis, said: "The proposal is to allow the field to be used on a limited number of particularly busy days to meet the demand at those times for additional town centre parking.

"The area to be used is the showfield currently used for events. All other parts of this popular site will not be affected and it would only be used on a limited number of occasions, which could be reviewed.

"The application also proposes allowing a temporary classroom to be provided at the entrance to the same field for education purposes. 

"The Town Council would welcome people’s views on the application and people can either contact the Town Council at enquiries@bridport-tc.gov.uk or phone 01308 456722 or make their comments direct to West Dorset District Council as part of the planning application process. The Town Council is also to meet local residents of South Mill Lane to discuss the proposal and will be happy to arrange a public consultation event prior to the closing date for comments on the planning application, which is May 21."