Parking field in Dales beauty spot shuts permanently

A field in a Yorkshire Dales village that is used for parking on summer days will close permanently, the landowners have confirmed.

Burnsall Park, on the banks of the River Wharfe near Bolton Abbey, is one of the most popular spots in the national park.

The owners of the field, who charge fees for vehicles, said the closure was due to a "changing business environment", and the decision comes following complaints of anti-social behaviour, littering and illegal parking and barbecue use in the area.

A 13-year-old girl from Bradford, Palwasha Akbar, drowned in the river near the field last month.

In a statement, the field's owners, the Daggett family, said: "After over seven decades of service as a cherished local and tourist spot, Burnsall Park will be permanently closing.

"This decision comes with heavy hearts and deep appreciation for the memories shared. While we've loved being part of so many summer memories over the years, recent changes in the business environment and growing challenges have led us to this point.

"Moving forward, the field and the facilities will be closed. We kindly ask everyone to respect this decision and refrain from entering the grounds, keeping to the Dales Way footpath only. We also ask you to please respect local residents and the surrounding countryside.

"Security measures will be in place to prevent trespassing.

"We are immensely grateful for all your support over the years, and we appreciate your understanding."

The Daggetts are local farmers who have managed the car park on their land since 1952.

There have been several tragedies and water rescues in the River Wharfe at Burnsall in recent years.

Just weeks after the death of schoolgirl Palwasha, three teenagers saved the lives of a father and son who had got into difficulty in the water.

Meanwhile, father-of-one Azaz Mohmed Chanda, 33, drowned in summer 2024 while playing on an inflatable dinghy with relatives.

About 1,000 people had been attending a family fun day in the area when Chanda, who was visiting from Blackburn, died.

The decision to close the car park has been welcomed locally.

Burnsall resident Kendra Perbetsky said: "Once they close the field at 7pm and visitors come here on to the village green it can get pretty loud at night.

"With them closing it down we might not have so many issues with the cars and congestion, and people just being silly."

The facility's loss leaves Burnsall with a small, 50-bay surfaced car park.

Residents had reported issues with illegal and inconsiderate on-street parking, causing traffic gridlock, on hot days when the parking field and smaller car park were full.

The MP for Skipton and Ripon, Julian Smith, said he had called upon the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority "to focus much more on what it can do to highlight these areas where it is dangerous and to work with landowners and others to make sure that the signage and the support is there".

He also called for "a lot more effort to be made managing crowds".

In response, a spokesperson said the Authority had been working with North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Council, among others, on "visitor management concerns".

"Those discussions are continuing," a spokesperson added.

"The implications of the closure will be considered as part of that ongoing work."

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