Bamburgh car park improvements underway

A car park expansion and improvement is underway in the picturesque coastal village of Bamburgh.
Cllr John Woodman and Cllr Ian Swithenbank in Bamburgh car park.Cllr John Woodman and Cllr Ian Swithenbank in Bamburgh car park.
Cllr John Woodman and Cllr Ian Swithenbank in Bamburgh car park.

Part of an overall scheme designed to reduce the impact of vehicles in the village, and improve road safety, Northumberland County Council is making important improvements at the site.

The improvements will extend the car park into an existing landscaped area to increase the number of spaces available, and bays will be marked so that space is used more efficiently.

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A new ‘BodPave’ surface is being added which will help with grip, drainage and the clarity of bay markings. This will also help to reinforce the ground, making the car park surface more durable and long-lasting.

Signs at the car park will be improved to make sure that visitors know that parking is free all day - encouraging people to walk into the village centre. The council hopes that the improvement work will help to attract more visitors, easing overcrowding on busy days.

Cllr John Woodman, member of Bamburgh, said: “I’m pleased to see this investment in Bamburgh. The visitor economy brings great benefits but puts great pressure on local areas. We need to invest in infrastructure to support the number of visitors. Increasing the capacity of the Bamburgh car park will help visitors but also allow us to improve the centre of the village.”

Cllr Ian Swithenbank, cabinet member for local services, said: “This expansion is great for the area, and can be a real boost to the local economy. As John said, we need to support the visitor economy and this is one of a number of investments along the coast to improve car park capacity.”

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The car park improvements are part of a scheme of work which will also see rumble strips installed to help reduce traffic speeds on some of the approaches to the village to complement the refreshed signs, lines and surfacing implemented at the end of 2016.

All elements of the scheme were displayed at an exhibition in the village in October last year. The next phase of the scheme is to create an improved streetscape in the village centre and a further exhibition is proposed in the village on the details of the these in the near future.

The work on the car park started this week and are expected to be completed by Easter.