Released:
1:17 pm November 23, 2021
Plans to expand the parking lot on an increasingly popular Broads beauty car have generated mixed reactions from neighbors.
Salhouse Broad is one of the most accessible spots on the waterways and has been attracting more and more visitors in recent years, with people drawn to its beach and the surrounding lawns that overlook the water.
To keep up with this growing popularity – and to prevent visitors from parking along the village outskirts – the local landowner has submitted plans to the Broads Authority to double the size of the parking lot from 35 to 72.
Tom Aldis, 37, who lives on Salhouse Road near the site, said: “Parking spaces are more urgent there. We have very little space on the streets and it gets very crowded.
“I think if you look at the Broads’ popularity and how it has grown beyond the lockdown, it’s long overdue.”
Salhouse Broad car park in November
– Photo credit: George Thompson
The local ranger welcomed the plans earlier this month, saying the parking lot was too small for popularity and the people parking on the curbs were preventing emergency vehicles from getting through.
However, there are some concerns that the enlarged facility could add more local congestion as the area becomes even more popular with visitors.
Louisa Clutterbuck of Mill Hill was against the plans, arguing that it would lead to an increase in cars for which the village had no roads. “I don’t see any need for it,” she added.
Linda Smith, 66, who lives on Upper Street, was concerned that the pay and display machine installed last year would force people back onto the curbs.
The parking lot at Salhouse Broad, pictured this August.
– Credit: Google
“There are people who don’t pay, so I wonder if expanding the parking lot is a waste of time,” she said.
“The last year has been very busy. It was a nightmare with people staying this street, they use it as a rat run. We had a lot more traffic. “
She said she was forced to keep her trash cans on the edge of her driveway to prevent people from moving onto her property.
Salhouse no parking sign on the grass verge
– Photo credit: George Thompson
A resident on Salhouse Road, who did not want to be named, said signs installed last year asking people not to park on the edges appeared to be working, but feared the measures would simply spread the problem further into the village would have brought.
The Broads Authority is due to make a decision next month.
