MAJOR improvements to its cafe and car park at Hindhead Commons and the Devil’s Punchbowl have been unveiled by the National Trust.

More than 100 people attended a public consultation with the National Trust this month at the Devil’s Punch Bowl to discuss the upgrade, which will cost an estimated £775,000.

David Kennington, general manager for the Surrey Hills said: “The consultation was well attended and the proposals were generally well supported.

“We will review all the comments received and once we have finished our assessments we plan to submit a planning application in mid-July.

“Hindhead Commons and the Devil’s Punch Bowl is a very special place to us and to so many people, with its spectacular countryside, wild feel and important natural habitats.

“As we’re getting more visitors we want to make sure we can cater better for them, including toilet and parking provision, to make a visit more enjoyable, while ensuring we keep the special feel of this place.

“We are not looking to increase audiences, we want to make the facilities fit for the people who come already.

“This increase has already happened, with 17 per cent more people visiting since the A3 tunnel was built. We are glad that people want to get outdoors and closer to nature and want to make their visit more enjoyable when they come.”

When the A3 tunnel was built and the commons reunified, the landscape at Hindhead improved dramatically, but the National Trust’s visitor facilities have largely stayed the same.

The new plans include more toilets and 30-40 more car parking spaces, with log-marked bays.

The parking spaces would be located near the road entrance to make them less obtrusive from the viewpoint and to retain a heathland feel.

The improved cafe would blend in with the existing building, with a new extension, providing a light, airy, seating area with folding glass doors.

The end section would have open sides, allowing people to have their pets with them, while sitting undercover.

A kiosk would replace the existing shepherd’s hut and include a membership area and additional food and drink hatch.

Haslemere Town Council has welcomed the plan, which it hopes will ease the traffic problems caused by the growing popularity of the Devil’s Punch Bowl as a tourist destination.

Writing to The Herald (see Letters Page), Haslemere Deputy Mayor Malcolm Carter, who chairs the town council’s Hindhead working party, said the council was “pleased to see that not only is there to be a doubling of the car parking but also a second level of charge for non-members who just want a brief walk with friends or their dogs, another thing we have wanted for some time.

“We trust local residents will use the new upgraded National Trust facilities and that the village house owners will feel less blighted by inconsiderate parking.

“We trust our request to Surrey County Council to extend the yellow lines in the village will also assist in this matter.”

Haslemere resident Tony Bennett commended the National Trust for holding the pre-application consultation.

He said: “They went to the trouble of inviting interested parties, I took up an invitation extended to the Haslemere Society.

“It was very well staffed with people who were keen to explain the plans and quite rightly pleased with the success that the whole Devil’s Punch Bowl renovation has been.

“The plans themselves were, I thought, very sensible and modest.

“Extending the existing building and re-aligning the car park, all respecting the setting and resisting the temptation to build a trophy centre.

“This is a model of how to go about it – contrasting of course with Waverley’s plans for Frensham Visitor Centre.”