Up to 323 extra car spaces will be available to help ease parking congestion at the Needles Landmark Attraction throughout the peak holidays.
Plans have been put forward to increase the number of days the attraction can use the overspill car park including; the Easter school holidays, May Day weekend, Summer half-term holiday and the Summer holidays.
The overflow parking will help alleviate the traffic build-up coming into the park which, when busy, can cause significant disruption to those entering and leaving the park as well as the Routes 7 and 12 Southern Vectis buses and both the Island Coaster and the Needles Breezer.
As most recently as last Thursday (1st June) the traffic was causing delays as long as 30 minutes whilst operatives tried to get people into the park.
Utilising the overflow car park for up to 70 days a year will now add around double the spaces to the site allowing for better practicality during the busy summer months for the nearly 70,000 cars that visit the Needles each year.
The car park was currently used as an overspill space for just 28 days of the year until that was increased to 56 during COVID-19 and now to 70 – with the opening hours of the car park in line with the park itself – 10:00 to 16:00.
I’m not sure if this is still the case, but the National Trust never received any money from the obligatory car parking at the Needles, which is shameful. Now the Needles Landmark Attraction (formerly ‘Pleasure Park’, withdrawn for obvious reasons) will be raking it in. Do the right thing and donate at least half your profits to the National Trust. Some of us want to visit a beautiful and historic site and not be held over a barrel to park in your car park and line your pockets. If anyone one knows any different then I welcome your comments.
Serious question: is there a bike route from Newport to Needles that doesn’t require to share the road with cars?
I use Red Squirrel Trail from Cowes to Newport few times a week and it’s lovely for that reason – a well-maintained surface through the forest for pedestrians and bikes only is an awesome ride.
I’d totally do a day trip to Needles on bikes but Google Maps shows quite a lot of road sharing with cars? That might be good for lycra lads preparing for a race but for a normal commuter on a Dutch ‘grandpa’ bike who goes slow it’s stressful and not so safe.
Only route I know of is Nodgeham lane Carisbrooke, via Jubilee walk Brightstone, then Five barrows down over the golf course to Freshwater but some roads will be needed.
If you wait a few years, the Government will price all us plebs off the road to gain their green agenda, so that only the elite and those drug dealers on tax credits and free rent can afford cars.
A plan to allow the population to increase, so as the rich who own land, property and businesses gain from more people, but by selling the climate change ‘green’ thing to the dim, these people can have roads with less not more cars on for them to drive freely once more.
Well, there is a grain of truth to that, it is possible for a crisis to become a catalyst for government action: maybe you remember the 1970s fuel crisis in Netherlands and how it made them embrace the walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure and it turned out quite good for drivers as well: they routinely land above UK and even car-centric US in drivers’ satisfaction polls while at the same time road accidents and serious injuries remain one of the lowest.
So fingers crossed people will prefer to not only suffer short-term but perhaps will vote for measures that will make it better for all road users in the long-term as it’s a great opportunity to do so. No reason to live in pain without a gain 😉
What utter bo**ocks. Even by your low standards. Hilarious, genuinely made my day. Megalolz.
Allowing even more parking in the AONB would be a disgrace. If they want to get more people in then encourage them to visit by the excellent and frequent bus service. This is a private company making a mockery of efforts to protect the environment. Object to it!