Craster car park driving up visitor numbers

10 Jun 2019 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

Tourists are reaping the benefits of scores of extra spaces at one of the county’s most popular car parks.

Over £500,000 has been spent carrying out improvements to Craster car park and the Seafield car park in Seahouses - both of which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Historically, the village car park in Craster quickly became full during busy periods, meaning cars parking along the main access road to the village and the village itself, causing access problems for local bus services and parking issues for residents.

The county council worked closely with Craster Parish Council to find a solution and has extended the car park in the quarry area to create a further 48 spaces, bringing the total capacity to 148 vehicles. The scheme also includes a new electric vehicle charging point.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services with Northumberland County Council, said: “This was among the first of many schemes we are delivering across the county as part of a new package of parking improvements.

Longhoughton County Councillor Wendy Pattison, whose ward covers Craster, said: “These works really have made a difference to the car park and I’ve seen myself how well-used the extra spaces are.

“Like many key tourist destinations Craster can get extremely busy and this work has benefited both local residents and visitors. I am delighted Craster as I understand is the first village in my ward to get a charging point and I hope this will extend to other Longhoughton Ward villages in the future.”