Plans to install a parking machine and cameras in a beauty spot car park were met with horror today, with one councillor saying it would be a “crime” if it went ahead.

Initial Parking Limited had applied for permission to install a payment machines and Automatic Numberplate Recognition (ANPR) system at West Portholland car park on the Roseland.

The proposals, which went before Cornwall Council’s central sub-area planning committee on Monday morning, were met with a number of objections from Veryan Parish Council, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) unit and local Cornwall councillor Julian German, ultimately resulting in their rejection.

Under the proposals a post was planned to be installed next to the listed lime kiln building in the car park, along with a solar powered payment machine.

The car park is owned by the Caerhays Estate, which wants to introduce parking charges for the site which was previously free to park in.

In a strong objection the AONB unit said that installing the cameras and machine would be “intrusive and uncharacteristic”.

It added that “the presence of these contemporary utilitarian elements and structures will be conspicuous by their presence and will introduce a suburbanising element not appropriate for this traditional, largely unspoilt and somewhat remote location on the Roseland Peninsula”.

The car park in West Portholland where a planning application to install parking machines and cameras has been refused (Image: Google)

The car park in West Portholland where a planning application to install parking machines and cameras has been refused (Image: Google)

Planning officer Martin Woodley told councillors that the changes had been put forward by the “new management regime from the Caerhays Estate”.

He said that the application had been recommended for approval as officers did not consider that the proposal would not result in significant harm to the AONB or environment.

Mr Woodley said that there would be benefits including “enhance car park maintenance and safe parking for users of the beach and footpath”.

Veryan parish councillor Frank Trounce said that other parking areas in West Portholland operate an honesty box system and said that there was no reason why this could not be introduced in this car park.

He said that this was done without “pressure or intimidation” and said that introducing the parking machine and camera would be “commercialism at its worst”.

Cllr Trounce added: “It is the beginning of the end of such an unspoilt area.”

Committee member Michael Bunney said that there was no modern development in West Portholland and that it would be wrong to introduce the machine and cameras there.

The car park in West Portholland where a planning application to install parking machines and cameras has been refused (Image: Google)

The car park in West Portholland where a planning application to install parking machines and cameras has been refused (Image: Google)

And John Fitter said that he had gone to visit the area at the weekend so that he could see it for himself.

He said that he had never been there before and said that he felt that the area probably had only changed very little in 100 years.

“We have something very, very special here and it needs protection,” he said, adding that the signage in the car park left him “horrified”.

He added: “This would be a crime to allow this here to be spoiled in this fashion.”

And Cllr Fitter said that the Caerhays Estate was holding the site in the “trust of future generations” and said they should aim to protect it.

The planning committee voted unanimously to refuse the planning application due to the impact that it would have on the AONB, character and landscape and the listed buildings.

An associated application, considered separately, for signage for the payment machines was also refused unanimously.