The area has long had a strong attraction for visitors based on its qualities of tranquillity, its sense of remoteness and wilderness (for parts of the coast), the character and charm of its landscapes and settlements, and its wildlife. Historical and cultural attractions such as Sandringham, Holkham Hall, Felbrigg Hall and the North Norfolk Railway add to this attraction, as does its growing reputation for high quality local produce and eating places.

The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail provides a key access route through the area from Sedgeford to Cromer, and other local and regional trails provide further opportunities. The Norfolk Coast Cycleway runs through the area, forming part of the Sustrans National Route 1 and Regional Route 30.

Parts of the area, particularly the North Norfolk Heritage Coast, are heavily used for a wide range of recreational activities, by local people and those who live within easy travelling distance as well as visitors from further away, either on day visits or longer stays. The effects of increasing numbers of visitors and recreational use on the area was one of the main concerns that led to the setting up of a partnership of organisations for its management in 1991.

These activities benefit the health, well-being and quality of life of those taking part, as well as helping to support the local economy in many cases. Those using the marine environment are especially important and well established, in particular sailing, but also including other forms of boating, windsurfing, wildfowling and angling. The area is also popular for more informal activities such as short walks, walking dogs, cycling, browsing in villages and scenic drives, by both local residents and visitors.

The tourism industry, for which the area's environment and natural beauty is the key asset, now plays a more important part in the local economy than ‘traditional industries’ such as farming, fishing and boat building, although it’s strength is linked to their influence and products. A study in 2000 estimated that annual visitors to six nature reserves on the north Norfolk coast spent £5.3 million on the day of their visit and £20.8 million during their trip as a whole. Tourism supports many local jobs directly as well as other businesses indirectly, and helps to support community services such as village shops, post offices and pubs. It also helps to support nature conservation management activity on important sites in the area.

However, tourism can generate potential sources of conflict, with general growth aspirations driven by economic forces in opposition to the need for environment conservation and maintaining the fabric of the community itself. In order to achieve a truly sustainable tourism destination, the behaviour and impact of visitors, both positive and negative, need to be fully understood and reflected in visitor management plans and policies.

The majority of visitors still reach and move around the area via the road network, although many alternatives are available, and traffic levels and infrastructure can have significant impacts on landscape and tranquillity.

Issues arising from the assessment of current condition of the area’s natural beauty

The assessment of the current condition of the natural beauty of the area has highlighted one key issue related to access and recreation:

Decline in some key bird species in the North Norfolk Coast Special Protection Area (SPA) may be linked to recreation pressures.

Potential impacts of key external pressures for change

Each of the four key external pressures for change (coastal processes, climate change, development pressures and global markets and national and international policy) affect access and recreation in the area:

1. Coastal processes

Wash coastline, North Norfolk Heritage Coast, Sea Palling to Winterton – primarily flooding.
Weybourne to Bacton – primarily erosion.

Impacts (current / anticipated)

Loss of coastal access (coastal footpaths and access to beaches).

2. Climate change

Impacts (current / anticipated)

Uncertain – warmer coastal climate may attract more visitors, with more potential impacts on sensitive habitats and species, but increased storminess or other as yet unanticipated changes might reduce numbers; and
Rate of coastal change effects (acceleration) through sea level rise.

3. Development pressures

Consideration of future housing development close to the AONB and within range of a day visit suggests visitor numbers are likely to increase in future.

There are no reliable estimates for the total numbers of people visiting the AONB, or for areas within it such as the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. Estimates available for some individual sites and attractions, together with traffic count figures on the A149 coast road and the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail, suggest that numbers have probably been fairly stable recently after increasing during the 1990s.

As examples of the scale of numbers at some sites, Titchwell Marsh, Cley Marshes and Lady Anne’s Drive at Holkham are estimated to receive up to about 1,000,000 visitors per year, whilst high numbers are also estimated for others such as Sheringham Park (180,000) and Blakeney and Morston quays (140,000).

Within the mix of more traditional recreational activities such as sailing and other forms of boating, windsurfing, wildfowling, sea angling, walking, cycling, walking dogs, browsing in villages and scenic drives, new recreational activities may arise either as short term fashions or more permanent features of the recreational scene. A recent example is kite-based activities such as kite-buggying, kite-surfing or ‘kite-jumping’. It is difficult to predict new activities and the opportunities and pressures they may bring, and they should be managed in a way that is compatible with existing activities and conservation of the area’s natural beauty.

Impacts (current / anticipated)

There are already known pressures and impacts on some sensitive habitats and species at some locations, particularly in the North Norfolk Heritage Coast e.g. grey dunes and beach nesting birds. Impacts on ground-nesting, feeding and roosting birds from people walking dogs is a contentious issue on some sections of coast, which would benefit from further research and action. Dog mess is also a recognised problem in many parts of the area, which affects people’s enjoyment of natural beauty. Other impacts also exist to a lesser or greater extent in certain locations.

An increase in visitor numbers could potentially result in:

Exacerbation of existing impacts on sensitive wildlife habitats and species, and extension to other areas. Impacts may be worsened in combination with other pressures, such as those arising from climate change, and may affect habitats and species covered by European designations;
Possible increased damage to some archaeological sites;
Increase in visitor traffic and associated impacts – erosion of tranquillity, pressures for signage and infrastructure (visual / landscape character impacts), increased local air pollution and carbon emissions, increased congestion and impacts on settlement character;
Increasing noise and disturbance from some recreational activities (e.g. aircraft, jet-skis);
Possible increase in litter; and
Conflicts between different recreational activities.

Although there is a likelihood of impacts, there is limited information available to predict likely increases in numbers, potential impacts and areas of most sensitivity.

There is limited influence available to partner organisations over regional policy and less over national policy on housing growth. Some influence may be available through consideration of potential impacts of regional plans on European designated sites and features.

Further influence is available to local partners on promotion of the area, though this is limited because of promotion by national and local media and private businesses. Since tourism is a very important part of the local economy, how the area is promoted is the key.

4. Global market forces and national and international policy

Provisions for improving public access to and along the coast under the Marine and Coastal Access Bill are currently being developed, led by Natural England. It will be important to ensure that this is done in such a way that wildlife, habitat and landscape sensitivities are taken fully into account and that public enjoyment and understanding of the coast is enhanced at the same time.

Impacts (current / anticipated)

Improved public access to the coast may increase visitor numbers to newly accessible sites and across the area in general.

Vision of the future for access and recreation

A twenty year vision for access and recreation in the area sets the scene and guides the activities of the Norfolk Coast Partnership:

The Norfolk Coast is a place where people can refresh both body and soul. Tourism, recreation and enjoyment of the area provide benefits to both its communities and landscape.

Recreation by both visitors and local residents, including long-standing traditional activities for the area, is managed in a way that provides opportunities for everyone to experience and enjoy the special qualities of the area without conflicting with those qualities or with other people’s enjoyment of them.

Public access routes and areas, both statutory and discretionary, form an integrated network. Information on these, and on areas suitable for a variety of recreational activities, is easily and freely available to the public.

Five year objectives and policies

The five year objectives and policies for access and recreation are designed to achieve the twenty year vision:

A1. Information on visitors & local recreation has been improved:

A1.1. Develop understanding about current and future visitor numbers, behaviours, visit profiles and recreational activities, focusing mainly on coastal Natura 2000 sites (joint activity with Wash and North Norfolk Coast European Marine Site Management Scheme, Wash Estuary Strategy Group and National Trail in eastern Wash coast and North Norfolk Heritage Coast) and manage these pressures to avoid significant negative effects.

A2. Awareness and understanding within the tourism sector and local communities of the importance and sensitivities of key species and habitats has been raised, particularly for coastal Natura 2000 sites:

A2.1. Work with the tourism sector and local communities to develop consistent messages about sensitive use of parts of the area that share key characteristics and pressures and ensure these are supported and promoted (joint activity with Wash and North Norfolk Coast European Marine Site Management Scheme, Wash Estuary Strategy Group and National Trail in eastern Wash coast and North Norfolk Heritage Coast).

A3. More co-ordinated management measures for sustainable enjoyment of the area have been developed with the tourism sector and local communities:

A3.1. Develop improved management of recreation activities that impact on sensitive habitats and wildlife (joint activity with Wash and North Norfolk Coast European Marine Site Management Scheme, Wash Estuary Strategy Group and National Trail in eastern Wash coast and North Norfolk Heritage Coast);

A3.2. Ensure that harbours are used in a responsible manner, with due regard to the sensitive habitats and wildlife;

A3.3. Ensure that opportunities, information and incentives for visitors to enjoy the area without using the car are easily available and developed as appropriate;

A3.4. Take opportunities using existing mechanisms e.g. Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan, Environmental Stewardship and other discretionary access, to improve the area’s access network to enhance sustainable enjoyment;

A3.5. Continue to develop and implement the Norfolk Coast Transport Strategy to manage traffic and transport issues and activities in the area;

A3.6. Provide appropriate levels of visitor facilities at key sites, including for visitors with restricted mobility; and

A3.7. Ensure opportunities and information are easily available for everyone, including those with restricted mobility, to enable enjoyment of the range of the area’s natural beauty sensitively and encourage suitable activities away from sensitive areas.

Other relevant plans and initiatives

Other relevant plans and initiatives involving partner organisations that can help to achieve objectives and implement policies for this theme include:

Local and regional tourism strategies and promotion (local authorities, Norfolk Tourism, East of England Tourism);
Shaping Norfolk’s Future;
Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path National Trail Framework for Development 2008-13 and annual action plans;
Norfolk Coast Transport Strategy (Norfolk County Council);
Wash and North Norfolk Coast European Marine Site Management Scheme;
Wash Estuary Management Strategy (Wash Estuary Strategy Group);
Broads Plan (Broads Authority);
Rights of Way Improvement Plan (Norfolk County Council);
Economic Development Strategies (local authorities);
Health and Well-being Policy (Natural England);
Landscape Policy (Natural England);
Policy Position Statement on Coastal Access (Natural England); and
‘Outcome 2’ People and the Outdoors Policy (Natural England).

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