The National Trust's "biggest car park in the Peak District" makes national headlines as planning objections reach 300 and the feedback deadline is extended.

Thank you to everyone who's continued to share the news of Lyme Park's major car park plans. If they won't do it adequately, we'll do it for them.

In the news

The plans have now been featured in a full house of media outlets, including national titles, some we didn't even contact — they obviously just thought it was newsworthy enough to pick up.

Cheshire Live went with a Pride and Prejudice hook and dramatic "slam". Derbyshire Live took comments directly from the planning app. Buxton Advertiser put together a good balanced piece.

The Times picked up the story themselves, as did the Daily Mail - scraping together a story entirely on their own with the outlandish headline "Ride and prejudice: Jane Austen fans slam National Trust plan for giant new car park ...". (I'm as yet unaware of the Jane Austen Fan Association submitting their objection, but I'm sure it'll come.)

The Guardian ran a typically excellent piece by Helen Pidd, who was notably keen to ensure accuracy from us (would it really be the biggest car park in the Peak? yes!) and an array of quotes from others. This also made it to the print edition with a nearly full-page spread. 

Finally, BBC News reported the story online and trailed it on Radio Manchester and North West TV news.

My thanks for assistance with these go to Simon Birch, who reached out and offered to help. Proof this isn't just one person's campaign: so many people are offering help and working in their own ways, with their own groups and issues, to oppose the plans. The objection is overwhelming and very nearly absolute.

1,300 signatures, 300 objections

All this obviously got word out to more people, who'd probably have otherwise been completely unaware of the plans. The Peak District Planning website has hit 7 pages of representations and, countering a few in "support" (with little evidence), it makes for about 300 objections.

Scanning through them, it's great to see the thoughtful arguments being put forward. Some using the letter I offered, but a majority original and covering so many issues from ecology to traffic to sustainable travel. There are just so many things wrong with the plans it's hard to single out one issue.

While these will be considered by the Peak District authority with the hope of an outright refusal, the 1,300+ signatures opposing the plans here will go directly to the National Trust with the hope they might abandon and rethink.

Deadline EXTENDED

Originally set at 28th April, the planning consultation deadline has now been extended by a whole 21 days to 19th May 2023.

This could be due to the amount of responses still being received, but also because it was highlighted that not everyone locally had been adequately informed. Pott Shrigley Parish Council, for example, have lodged an objection purely on the basis they'd had no formal notification.

The Peak District authority said: "The consultation date for the application has been extended ... to give some neighbours chance to respond who had not been formally consulted yet."

If you've signed this petition but not formally objected yet — please consider doing so now (scroll to the bottom of the page to provide comments).

• Previously: 4 Tescos in the National Park: How big is 1,065 spaces?