Exmoor National Park Authority has approved plans for a two-storey extension to Dunster’s historic Watermill Tea Room despite objections that it would take trade away from the village and cause parking problems,

The extension will add 50 seats to the current 31 – a 160 per cent increase – modernise kitchen facilities and improve access and facilities for disabled people.

In its application to last week’s authority meeting, the National Trust claimed the present tearoom was “impractical and inadequate to meet demand”.

The new building, which would be open 363 days a year, would be in keeping with the medieval village and its heritage. Its facilities would help provide a year-round visitor destination – at the moment, Dunster Castle operated at a loss in the winter.

The authority’s head of planning and sustainable development, Dean Kinsella, said the extension would have a dual-pitch roof of natural slate, timber and stone elevations and large areas of glazing.

He said that the authority’s historic buildings officer had felt that previous versions of the scheme, which was in the Dunster conservation area, had been too large.

But the current proposal was very different in form and appearance and sat much more comfortably with its surroundings.

Dunster Parish Council supported the proposals so long as staff used the National Trust car park rather than public parking. The council has also asked for an economic survey to assess the impact of the development on the village.

The park authority approved the extension plans, subject to stipulations over wildlife and a traffic management scheme.

Details of the scheme, objections and reasons to support it are reported in this week’s Free Press (April 12).