the gazette isle of wight
Historic sites get extra protection NEARLY 140 buildings, structures and gardens of special local historic, architectural or aesthetic interest are to be given extra protection by the IW Council. They are all to be included in a ‘Local List’ drawn up by an independent review panel comprising experts in local history, design and horticulture. Inclusion in the list does not change any designation that already applies but provides a locally held and agreed register of buildings, the historic or architectural significance of which must be considered against any development proposals submitted to the local authority. The list includes war memorials, traditional red telephone boxes, public greens and parks, private gardens and well-known local buildings and structures. Among the Island buildings included are East Cowes Town Hall and Zion Chapel in Ryde, while parks and open spaces include Rylstone Gardens in Shanklin and Church Litten in Newport.
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32-page Lifestyle supplement: centre pullout
Island braced for tourism bonanza Whitecliff Bay’s Charlotte Jones: getting ready for an extremely busy summer season
THE ISLAND is gearing up for a summer bonanza as holidaymakers continue to turn their backs on foreign destinations in favour of value-for-money breaks closer to home. Bookings for static caravans and chalets on the Island reached near-record levels for the Easter weekend, and the indications are that the boom will continue through the year, peaking during the school holidays from midJuly until the end of August. There was hardly a caravan or chalet to be had anywhere on the Island over Easter as mainlanders made the short trip across the Solent rather than queue for hours at airports, only to find the value of the pound against the euro meant a very expensive getaway. Kevin Danvill, sales and marketing manager at Gurnard Pines Holiday Park, said: “It’s fantastic. This site has never seen anything like it before – even when it was the old holiday camp
By Peter White
prior to 2006. “The previous best ever occupancy on average over a year has been 36 per cent, but this year we are already up to 42 per cent. We have been turning people away, and although we have a few vacancies for the summer, my advice is that if people don’t book early they will not get in.” Samantha Towle, in holiday sales at Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, near Bembridge, summed up the buoyant mood. She said: “We have around 300 units on our site, and we did not have one free over Easter. “In the end we found ourselves turning people away. We could have done with a few more units, although there were a few places available on our camping sites. And so far the response for the summer has been excellent.” Charlotte Jones, holiday sales adviser at Whitecliff Bay, added: “We are much busier than we
‘Wight Sun’ set to launch HOPES of restoring a fully operational ferry service between Yarmouth and Lymington have taken another significant step forward. Ferry company Wightlink have taken delivery of the third vessel they will shortly be using for their regular car ferry service between the Island and the mainland. The new arrival, ‘Wight Sun’, has sailed in after making the long journey from Croatia, where it was built. It will operate in conjunction with ‘Wight Light’ and ‘Wight Sky’, which Wightlink took delivery of late last year. The service has been beset with problems since Wightlink announced their new fleet – much larger than
their predecessors – would be making the 35-minute journey between Yarmouth and Lymington. The company have had to undergo exhaustive trials at sea and in Lymington Harbour amid fears that they could have had a detrimental effect on the estuary and harm the environment. The ferries have also been subjected to speed restrictions. As a result Wightlink were forced to alter their timetable to an hourly service rather than every 45 minutes, to allow more time for loading and unloading. But the arrival of ‘Wight Sun’ should soon result in the service returning to its original schedule in time for the summer influx of holidaymakers.
were last year, and we are getting ready for a very busy time. The phones haven’t stopped ringing.” It was the same story for Island View Holidays, who run Rookley Country Park, Colwell Bay Park, Field Lane, Hill Grove and Bay Close Court in Freshwater Bay. Office manager Liz Jasper said: “In all we have just over 300 units, and they were all full. And the summer bookings so far are as good as they have been for some time. They are already up on last year. “Hopefully people are again realising that they can come to the Island and have a really good value-for-money holiday.” A spokesman for Old Mill Caravan Park in St Helens added: “We have struggled a bit in July, just before the school holidays for the past few years, but this time it is looking far more promising. Bookings are certainly on the increase.” Continued on page 2