Opponents of Canterbury City Council's latest bid to extend Wincheap Park and Ride donned Wind in the Willows-inspired costumes to protest against the scheme.

The local authority has attempted to quell fears surrounding the proposed car park expansion’s environmental impact by redrawing the site’s boundary to increase the “green buffer” between it and the Great Stour.

The proposed number of parking spaces has been decreased from 860 to 810.

But opposition to the scheme - against which more than 500 objections have been lodged - remains fierce.

Dozens of activists, including some dressed as characters Ratty and Mr Toad, gathered at Hambrook Marshes last Thursday to call for the plans to be abandoned.

Campaigner Richard Norman, from Save Wincheap Water Meadows, said: “We’re trying to get through the message that the marshes are an idyllic place.

“The gentle river flowing through the meadows is exactly the type of scene in Wind in the Willows and there are water voles, moles and otters.

“But if a car park is there, it’ll be a totally different scene.”

The plans are part of the authority’s package of road-improvement measures to the west of the city, which includes the new A2 coastbound off-slip and Wincheap relief road.

As a result, the council says the enhancements cannot be made if the plans for the park and ride are scrapped.

Despite this, Mr Norman believes the authority should instead look to build the car park elsewhere.

It makes no sense and they just need to rethink the whole thing,” he added.

“There are other sites on the Wincheap industrial estate, a lot of which belong to the council, which could be used. One option would be to go multi-storey at the existing car park.

“They could even go back to the drawing board and think more widely and look at somewhere further out from Canterbury, which would make sense because it wouldn’t require a convoluted slip road with a hair-pin bend.”

Council spokesman Leo Whitlock insists the authority has searched for other suitable sites, with the only alternative being to concrete over an orchard in Faulkners Lane in Harbledown.

“Anybody who has concerns about air quality and traffic congestion in Canterbury should be wholeheartedly in support of our plans to expand the Wincheap park and ride,” he said.

“We do understand the worries about the potential impact on the river setting along the Stour. While we agree this is precious, tackling air quality is very important too.

“In June, councillors agreed to designate the land between the river and Cotton Road as a nature reserve, which will have huge environmental and ecological benefits providing sustainable improvements for wildlife, recreation, quality of life, and health and wellbeing.”

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