Coast path omission loses IOW £35m
The Isle of Wight Ramblers has claimed the island’s lack of a coastal path could be costing local tourism as much as £35 million a year. Chairman David Howarth has based his claim on a Countryside Agency study of the South West Coastal Path, which estimated that it brought £300 million each year into the regional economy, and has made a pro-rata estimate based on this of the value of a similar comprehensive coastal trail for the Isle of Wight. The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 provides for a coastal trail to be established around the whole of the English coast, but islands are not included. The Isle of Wight Ramblers wants a special order to be prepared and signed by the Environment Minister to plug this omission.
Find out more at www.iowramblers.com.
Image by Christine Matthews via geograph.org.uk
