Derbyshire County Council and its Trust are making dubious claims in order to convince people that their proposed new road and car parks are needed and that they will bring visitors closer to the heart of the Estate, the Castle and core buildings, making access easier, with more space for parking than in the existing car park.

This is not true.

Some sections of the proposed new car parks will actually be further away from the Castle and core buildings than the main car park we use now. The distance from the current car park to the Castle’s inner courtyard is approximately 485 metres.

Even from the centre of the proposed Broodmare Paddock car park, to the centre of the inner courtyard, it is still approximately 300 metres.

So for the purposes of ‘popping in’, or nipping to the cafe during your lunch break, you will still face a good walk. You will still have to wrap yourself up against the elements when it’s cold, or wet and windy. It will continue to take time to get there on your visit.

However, if you have to park in the overspill car park for any reason you face a much further walk. From the centre of the proposed overspill car park, to the centre of the Broodmare Paddock it is another 150 metres, or a total of 450 metres to the inner courtyard, only 30 metres or so difference than the walk from the current car park. But from the far side of the overspill car park the distance increases to 190 metres to the centre of Broodmare Paddock, making it just under 500 metres to the centre of the inner courtyard!

This is a greater distance than the one it is designed to replace!

As for more parking space, as claimed by the Council, there is in fact, less. The current car park and its overspill spaces are easily more than twice the size, calculated at minimum usage i.e., only allowing a 100 metre encroachment into each overspill area.

As a footnote, the walking distance to the Show Ground, to reach events there, from the centre of the proposed new car park at Broodmare Paddock, will be the same distance as the walk from the current car park to the Castle. The walk from the far end of the overspill car park will be much further of course.

What all of this proves is that the new road and car parks will not achieve what is claimed by the Council and in monetary terms alone will be a complete waste. In terms of damage caused to the Park it will be irreversible.