Island could be included in coastal path plan

By Martin Neville

Saturday, August 4, 2012

 

PLANS to include the Isle of Wight in a national scheme to ring the country’s coastline with a path have gone out to consultation.

The government wants to know what Islanders think about including the Isle of Wight on England’s national coastal path map.

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 provided for a coastal trail to be established around the whole English coast, but islands were not included.

The Isle of Wight Ramblers said such a coastal path could be worth as much as £35 million a year to the Island’s economy and create hundreds of jobs.

The consultation letter and a response form is available at www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2012/07/24/iow-access-mcaa/

The closing date for responses is Friday, November 16.

Reporter: martinn@iwcpmail.co.uk

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by Graeme Egerton

6th August 2012, at 13:21:10

If the cost of converting the coast is less than the income it generates then it could be considered a worthwhile venture. On the other hand, an all singing and dancing state of the art indoor pool which could generate an income all year round from islanders and holiday makers alike.... Now you're talking.

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by paul Johnson

6th August 2012, at 09:01:17

Surely this is a no brainer Anything that brings in an Income for the Island is GOOD whether it's £35,000.000 or £35 is irrelevant. and why would anyone oppose it. I love walking around My Beautiful Island and think it should be shared with the whole world. The people on here who seem to know Nothing about the tourist industry would be at home working on the Council. The extra Income comes from the fact that the National Ramblers association would promote the Island as part of the National Coastal path walkers wold then come to the Island spend money on Ferry, Hotel, Food, Gifts etc. OK and no ii am not a member of any Ramblers associations just a manual worker in a hotel that has the common sense to understand economics.

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by Richard Taylor

6th August 2012, at 07:41:13

I don't think anyone would disagree with you Mr Brown. The point I think is the daft amounts of money and jobs the Ramblers Association are saying it would bring.

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by Richard Brown

5th August 2012, at 20:46:25

We do home exchange holidays and our exchangers invariably leave comments. From these it seems that one of the things they enjoy most are the beautiful walks the Island offers, particularly the coast path

It is a very popular and valuable Island asset we would be silly not to improve and exploit it

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by Russell Palin

5th August 2012, at 12:18:39

Can we make it a cycle track too? We are going to need it as the amount of bikes on the Island and visiting swells after the "Tour" and the Olympics...
Perhapse the £35m would then raise to £70m Ha ha ha!

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by Richard Taylor

5th August 2012, at 11:57:59

Brilliant news! I've just got back from B&Q where I've bought a trestletable and a tea urn. I live near Freshwater Bay so hopefully I'll be right on the route. I'm going to sell teas etc to this lot and I will soon make my 23 million - I might venture into corn plasters and embrocationm as things progress. Bring it on! Eat my dust loosers!

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by Lee Majors

5th August 2012, at 00:17:25

Graeme, I was born to be a pessimist, my blood type is B negative.
I have just thought of a crazy idea that all these naked ramblers could take part in, it is called "Pay As You Walk".
Quite simply, they do not use the footpaths at all, but they walk along our roads, the £35 million that they bring with them in their rucksacks can then be spent on employing these 100s of people in the "new jobs" that they mention to maintain the roads for us car drivers to use. It is a win win situation, just tell them not to ramble in the daytime as the roads do melt & they will get sticky shoes, or they could bring some talcum powder ;-)

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by tony white

4th August 2012, at 23:28:07

methinks the ramblers are rambling or have been exposed to some halucinatory vegetation, quite how do they think £35 million is going to be spent by a few hundred ramblers and what are the hundreds of people actually going to do?

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by Graeme Egerton

4th August 2012, at 20:51:25

All it takes is 70,000 ramblers spending 500 quid each, job done! Don't be such a pessimist Lee:-)

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by Lee Majors

4th August 2012, at 20:31:15

Yeah bring them all over, with their packed lunch & thermos flasks so they do not have to use our cafes (mind you, most are shut in winter anyway)
I think this idea is one more way of spreading foot & mouth around the countryside.
Just where do the IoWR get the figure £35 million a year from?
Did one of them trip in a ditch & get a head injury while thinking of it?
£35 million, 100s of jobs? Doing what? Picking up the litter that the extra ramblers drop?
I have never heard such unbelievable rambling in my life!

Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.

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