ANGRY residents living near popular tourist beauty spot Kilve Beach are calling for action over the running of the beach’s private car park which they claim is imposing unfair and excessive penalties, destroying a site of outstanding natural beauty and operating without planning permission.

East Quantoxhead Estate, which owns the land bordering the beach, handed control of the extensive car parking area to a nationwide organisation, Premier Parking Solutions, last summer.

Since then, according to campaigners, the new operators have installed 13 obtrusive signs, cash-only ticket machines and an ANPR – Automatic Number Plate Recognition – camera. They have also extended the car park into a previously green space, turning the area into what has been described as a ‘muddy eyesore’.

Residents expressed their concern that East Quantoxhead Estate was yet to apply for retrospective planning permission to cover the new parking arrangements and had not met with village representatives to discuss the matter.

The Free Press was unable to contact Hugh Luttrell, of East Quantoxhead Estate, before going to press.

A leading campaigner, Graham Keating, who lives in the village, said: “The behaviour of the land owners and the parking operators is causing a great deal of frustration and consternation, particularly because it seems impossible to communicate with them.

“Everyone understands that the estate is a business and has the right to charge for parking on its private land. But we are asking if it is legal to levy massive fines of up to £100 if the car park is there without planning permission.”

For the full story, see this week’s West Somerset Free Press.