Isle of Wight Eco-Island Aims for Carbon Savings Plus
The Isle of Wight, beloved of many UK holidaymakers, is a ‘sun-kissed†area just 27 miles across and 13 miles deep. Working hard to become the greenest county in England, and adding a new dimension to its tourism appeal.
This year, the Isle of Wight Council launched Eco Island, a vision for a prosperous, healthy and safe community striving to reduce its carbon footprint through a comprehensive programme of projects and initiatives. It’s already making carbon savings and more.
The Island believes that it is ideally placed to achieve this because of its history of innovation, its unique environment – that is both beautiful and suited to alternative energy forms such as wind, wave and tidal power – and the fact that as an Island, new ideas can be tested and measured accurately.
Now, up and running is the UK’s first gasification plant at Newport that is able to transform waste into enough electricity to power 2000 homes.
As the Island is one of the UK’s sunniest places, this is not just good news for those who love the outdoors – it also helps create ideal growing conditions the results of which can be tasted in the huge range of local produce eaten and sipped in local restaurants and hostelries.
Besides its 500 miles of marked footpaths and 200 miles of cycle routes, there is a packed programme of annual events and a host of historic, cultural and fun, family attractions.
Popular yearly events include the world famous Cowes Week regatta in August, the IW Festival in June and the Bestival in September. There is May’s IW Walking Festival comprising around 260 themed hikes, the IW Cycling Festival in September and the White Air Extreme Sports Festival and the annual IW Garlic Festival both in September.
There are Medieval Castles, Queen Victoria’s palace at Osborne, Roman villas to explore and the Island’s prehistoric history is brought to life at Dinosaur Isle with its recreated landscape enhanced by sights, smells and sounds of the dinosaurs that once roamed the county. Even establishments where you can tap into your mystical side or explore your inner self as well as eco friendly hotels, B&Bs, holiday parks and camps.
A key strand of the Eco Island vision involves working with the industry to promote the Island’s green credentials and with travel operators to maximise use of public transport by visitors both in arriving at the Island and then moving around the destination.
The Island has been working closely with South West Trains whose services bring visitors to the very doorstep of Island Eco – the stations of Southampton Central, Portsmouth Harbour and Lymington where passengers can catch ferries to the Island.
Train services on the Island also serve the Island’s tourism heartland from Ryde, via the Island’s steam railway, the historic town of Brading and Lake to the resorts of Sandown and Shanklin – two of the Island’s three Blue Flag beaches.
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