The Church Commissioners, owner of The Bishop’s Palace and the Palace Farm estate, has asked its tenants at Palace Farm to halt all parking on Palace Fields with immediate effect.
A sign appeared on the gate to Palace Fields on Friday, 4th September. The sign explains that parking consent has been withdrawn by the landowners, and ends with the hope that the issue will be resolved. The sign was erected by the farm tenants.
The Phelps family, who have been tenants at Palace Farm for four generations, has used Palace Fields for vehicle parking for more than 10 years. Under current law, farm land can be used for alternative, non-agricultural purposes without planning permission for a maximum of 28 days in any calendar year. Examples include festivals, car boot sales and temporary parking. As farm tenants though, they would require permission from the landowners.
A Palace Farm spokesperson said: “We’ve had the 28 days, with their consent, for years. We had to put the sign up because people didn’t know where to go. Cars were going left, right and centre trying to find somewhere to park. It was bedlam.
“We don’t think the Commissioners are aware of how important this parking is to Wells. It’s a tourist town, and there’s not enough parking. People come here for the day and need somewhere to leave their cars.
“We managed to keep the car park open for the Moat Boat Race and the Railwells events, as the organisers had done so much work on them. We’re hoping to resolve something for the Wells Food Festival as it’s been running for years and so many people will be turning up on the day.
If we can sort something out then we would be proud to do that for the city.”
A spokesperson for the Church Commissioners commented: “We recognise that a number of local events appear to have relied on the parking arrangements at Palace Fields. In line with our legal responsibilities, the Commissioners is currently seeking to verify the extent of the parking arrangements and that all proper planning permissions and authorisations are in place. While the situation is being reviewed by both parties, we have asked our tenant to cease all parking activities.”
The Church Commissioners owns around 100,000 acres of land and property in England. It has recently applied for planning permission for 60 houses in Westbury-sub-Mendip, and in 2023 it consulted with stakeholders from The Bishop’s Palace and the Wells Civic Society about potentially developing the Palace Farm site for around 300 houses – for more information, go here.
Campaigners believe that, due to the city being a major UK tourism destination, parking should be retained on Palace Fields.
Local resident and campaigner, Lavinia Byrne, pictured above with the sign, said: “The Church will suffer reputational damage if the ban on parking on Palace Fields is allowed to continue. This would have a knock-on effect for our Cathedral and The Bishop’s Palace, both of which attract visitors and income to our city.
“The parking which is permitted on the field should, if anything, be extended to take pressure off the medieval streets of the city and enable us to receive our visitors without hassle.”
Palace Fields parking has traditionally been seasonal, with the field open for parking on Saturdays throughout the summer as well as major events, such as the recent Moat Boat Race and the Wells Food Festival, which is being held this year on Sunday, 11th October. With attendance figures regularly reaching around 15,000 on the day itself and over 200 traders, Palace Fields has been an essential parking location for both visitors and stallholders to the food festival.
Jon Abbott, the chair of the Wells Food Festival, said: “With Wells Food Festival attracting the largest number of external visitors to the city on a single day, the loss of Palace Fields for parking is going to have a considerable impact on the city, its residents and visitors alike.”