Wild swimming site's bid to build bigger car park

The number of parking spaces at a wild swimming venue near York could more than double to meet rising demand, under new plans.

The owners of Pool Bridge Farm, off the A19 south of York, have applied for permission to build a new visitor car park with 203 spaces to replace the existing 70-bay one.

A "rapid increase in visitor numbers" had seen as many as 700 people arriving at the site each day at weekends during the summer, according to the planning application.

Four of the five lakes at the Crockey Hill farm were repurposed for wild swimming after being used for coarse fishing until 2022.

The venue has issued 400 annual memberships this year, along with between 150 and 200 monthly passes a month, the planning application said.

The amount of daily swim tickets sold ranged from 350 to 500 in the summer and up to 700 at weekends and during school holidays.

Increasing visitor numbers "placed a strain on the supporting infrastructure at the farm," the venue said.

"However, the single biggest constraint on the continued evolution of the business is the level of car parking provision.

"The plans are a critical part of the business strategy for Pool Bridge Farm and will support the continued growth of this thriving rural enterprise."

A field that is used as an overflow car park can only be used in summer but would be turned into a permanent car park under the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The application will be decided by City of York Council.

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