Holy Island land train plan faces opposition

The vehicle is to be trialled for a month and would transports tourists from the main car park, into the village and on towards Lindisfarne Castle.

But an online petition created by resident Nicola Douglas which has attracted 6,340 supporters calls for the plans to be halted.

“The majority of residents do not want this,” she claims.

“Holy Island is a unique place, beautiful, tranquil and spiritual to many others.

“The size and length of the train would be prohibitive in many areas due to narrow streets bustling with visitors just wanting to enjoy the feel of Holy Island itself and challenging corners.

“There are also businesses reliant on the passing trade from the car park, which would become virtually non-existent if the train was to transport visitors directly to the village.

"Businesses within the village would also be affected as the train would not afford opportunity to browse the shops as they go.

“The whole idea of a land train smacks of a holiday park and that is certainly not what it is.

“Holy Island is my home, always has been and it is not the place for a land train, I want visitors to come and enjoy the island for what it offers as itself.”

Northumberland County Council is a consultee with the Vehicle Certification Agency making the decision.

Glen Sanderson, leader of the county council, said: “Holy Island is a very special place, with a hugely important historic past. And it’s clear this is a very sensitive issue and we recognise and appreciate the concerns of many islanders.

"We have limited powers in this respect as the Highways Authority, and it’s important to point out that licenses for the application and operation of land trains for genuine tourist/sightseeing purposes are issued by the UK Vehicle Certification Agency.”

“However, we would like to invite representation from the key stakeholders and the parish and town council to meet with us to discuss these in more detail, so that we can understand the issues they’ve raised and agree how we move forward.”

The petition can be viewed at https://www.change.org/p/northumberland-county-council-the-stopping-of-the-road-train

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