The idea of turning the Somerset Levels into a national park has won backing at a public meeting in Glastonbury — despite warnings about farming restrictions, housing costs and roads struggling with more visitors. A majority of those attending the CPRE event at the Town Hall supported further exploration of the proposal.

The show of hands followed a discussion about how national park status could protect wildlife and help manage the landscape. But speakers also questioned whether another layer of administration would help communities already dealing with flooding, pressure on agriculture and a shortage of affordable homes.

Farmer Charlie Walford, of Upton Bridge Farm in Long Sutton, said he supported efforts to improve biodiversity but feared additional bureaucracy. He described an industry already operating under several environmental schemes and restrictions.

He said: "We've got the sustainable farming incentive, we've got sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), and most of my farm is in a higher stewardship scheme. I can't fart at certain times of the year with someone from the government telling me off. Now we want to add more bureaucracy to make sure everything's managed in a lovely way.

"I agree that we should keep phosphates off the Levels – but maybe we should have a word with Wessex Water and get them to stop dumping so much in the river in the first place. I don't think we need more bureaucracy. Agriculture in the UK is absolutely on its knees at the moment."

Water management was another central concern, with discussion covering both winter flooding and the difficulty of keeping wetlands wet during summer. Wedmore farmer David Banwell questioned whether the existing system was being maintained adequately.

CPRE trustee Janette Ward argued that land management could help address flooding, highlighting runoff from maize fields. Somerset Wildlife Trust's director of nature recovery, James Grischeff, called for a wider discussion about what people wanted from the Levels and how to protect declining wildlife.

Other speakers questioned whether national park status could make practical conservation work harder. Vanessa Becker-Hughes, of the Somerset Eel Recovery Project, warned that additional licences and permits could slow projects down.

Residents also raised concerns about attracting more visitors without improvements to roads and parking. One described cars blocking passing places on single-track roads when rare birds attracted crowds, while another said the popularity of starling murmurations had changed her experience of visiting the Levels.

Housing prompted further warnings about the consequences for people living in and around any future park. Attendees questioned whether tighter development controls could make homes less affordable or increase pressure to build in neighbouring communities.

Caroline Barnes, who works for Thrive Somerset, highlighted the need for affordable homes in villages. She argued that small, well-designed developments could help meet local demand.

Despite those concerns, the closing vote supported continuing to investigate the idea. It was a vote among those attending the event, rather than a formal decision to designate the Levels.

A CPRE spokesperson said: "It's clear that a national park would not be a magic wand to fix everything.

"However, we firmly believe that it would provide the mechanism to look at this special landscape as a whole.

"It would allow for landscape-scale strategies, designed to balance different needs and opportunities in an area recognised for its national importance. That's our aim.

"It's fair to say that the reaction of the audience was mixed but a show of hands at the end of the evening gave overwhelming support for us to keep exploring the idea – so we will, and we will keep listening."

Original reporting: Daniel Mumby, LDRS

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