In one week, Yarmouth has suffered the worst flooding for 50 years and a prolonged main road closure, which has caused great concern for residents and businesses in the coastal town.
In light of the devastating effect this will have upon the economy of Yarmouth; Anthea Payne of ‘Number Twenty’ and her colleagues at Destination Yarmouth, have been working hard to counterbalance the disastrous effects these events will have upon the town.
By day two of the road closure, Destination Yarmouth (DY) had taken direct action over incorrect diversionary signage with amendments being made swiftly and efficiently by Island Roads; lobbied local MP Andrew Turner who in turn has lobbied IOW Council, and provided invaluable influence and advice, and have lobbied Wightlink for promotional assistance, with a major promotional campaign set to be launched on the Lymington-Yarmouth route next week.
In addition, the locally-run group have persuaded Wightlink to distribute a Destination Yarmouth leaflet at terminals and onboard, have persuaded Wightlink to allow a Destination Yarmouth Captain’s Info Announcement and have also persuaded Costcutter supermarket to provide a delivery service for elderly Yarmouth customers, during their 2 week closure for refurbishment starting on the 10th March.
Anthea Payne, Interim Chair of Destination Yarmouth says:
“In the face of this devastating threat, we aim to do everything in our power to keep Yarmouth going.
“What we have achieved so far, is just the tip of the iceberg. The message “Yarmouth is Open as Usual” needs to be transmitted loud & clear. We also need to help those people who are stranded and isolated with the lack of bus connections and road access. By working together and helping each other, we can all make a difference”
Andrew Turner MP adds his support:
“This is a very challenging time for Yarmouth – but I have been impressed by the positive attitude of those involved in Destination Yarmouth – which even included collecting up incorrect diversion signs and taking them back to Island Roads! I will be visiting Yarmouth myself over the next seven weeks to do some shopping and use the excellent pubs and restaurants and I hope other Islanders and visitors will make a special effort to do the same. I will do all I can to help with any initiatives to promote the town.”
In the coming days & weeks, Destination Yarmouth will be lobbying various IOW and Yarmouth stakeholders for support and assistance.
Photo by Matt Edmunds
