As a response to community feedback, including concerns over safety, temporary traffic restrictions have come into force in Freshwater Bay

An Island Roads spokesperson said: “Those local to the Freshwater Bay Area will recognise that there have been repeated issues with cars parking on either side of Afton Road on its approach to and from Freshwater Bay, especially during the holiday period when people visit the Bay area to enjoy the sea and the surrounding downland areas.

“As we are now in the key summer holiday period, Isle of Wight Council and Island Roads are taking some temporary steps to secure the free flow of vehicles through this busy area, which is a bus route and also a key link for emergency service vehicles.  This will involve placing a no waiting restriction using cones on one side of Afton Road; the west side/northbound side as you drive away from Freshwater Bay. These restrictions will be in place from today until early September and will be enforced by the Isle of Wight Council. 

“This a short-term solution which will give us valuable knowledge and feedback while we consider the use of an experimental parking restriction for the area and ultimately develop the long-term solution to managing the network in this area.”