Controversial plans to build a car park on a field for a National Trust landmark in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are back on the cards.

Last June, the organisation's scheme for Ightham Mote, near Sevenoaks, was rejected by councillors after hundreds opposed the plans to build a car park on scenic, greenbelt land and raised traffic concerns as well.

Now, the National Trust has submitted an amended proposal to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, reducing the number of spaces and the amount of farmland that needs to be used.

The plans still include removing a temporary visitor reception and replacing it with a permanent one, building a shop, and bringing back the walled garden at the 14th century landmark.

During the previous council meeting, it was decided the harm caused by the car park to the AONB outweighed the apparent benefits of the application.

The trust still wants to relocate the current car park from the walled garden and north drive, to a new surfaced car park in Mount Field.

Currently there are 472 car parking spaces at the tourism spot, with 220 spaces for overflow parking. The overflow spaces are weather dependent and can only be used for a maximum of 28 days.

The previous application sought to increase the number to 552, with 351 total surfaced spaces and 201 for overflow spaces.

Now that number has been reduced to 297 surfaced spaces, with the overflow spaces sticking to the current number and rules.

The new surfaced car park in Mount Field would have 93 spaces, while an all-weather grassed surface will also be created at the field, with 58 spaces.

The trust says that planting and landscaping will shield cars from all views.

Once the spaces have been removed from the walled garden, a new reception and shop, glasshouse and bothy can be built.

General manager of Ightham Mote, Bernadette Gillow said: “We’ve taken great care to consider all the feedback from the local community on our plans for Ightham Mote.

"We’ve reduced the size of the relocated parking considerably whilst enhancing measures to avoid congestion on the local roads.

"Better management of visitor patterns across the whole year, assisted by the continued use of a booking system introduced in 2020, as well as better traffic circulation within the site will enable us to make more efficient use of the available space.

“We’ve now reduced the area of Mount Field to be used by more than half of what was previously proposed, to just 1.98acres.

"We’ve ensured there will be no impact on the viability or sustainability of the farming operation. And planting and landscaping will protect views across the Kentish countryside.”

Assistant director of operations for the trust in London and the south east, Richard Henderson, said: “The National Trust looks after special places for everyone, for ever. These proposals will help us to do just that.

"By securing the long-term future of Ightham Mote with a more sustainable visitor offer, we can continue to care for the historic site whilst telling more of its stories for years to come.”

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