9 th Century Fishing hamlet 18 th Century Main industries quarrying, fishing and smuggling. Transport links poor so most by sea to pier (opened 1859) Victorian eraJohn Mowlem and George Burt secured a more prosperous future for the town. May 1885Steam Railway opened 1896Second pier for pleasure steamers opened 1890s More popular with “seaside trippers” so accommodation increased 1926 Car ferry opened 50s – 70sTourism on increase as a result of more families taking holidays by the sea 70s-90sDecline due to package holidays and 90s recession PresentVisitor numbers on the increase

Dorset’s predominant industry is tourism, and the coast is the most important tourism asset The Dorset coast attracts 16.5 million visitors a year (1 million from overseas) Dorset’s natural attractions are very important to tourism but the county also has 120 built visitor attractions covering a range of interests. 30% of visitors to Dorset are families and 51% are adult couples. The Purbeck Heritage Committee was established in 1990s to make sure tourism, conservation and heritage were co-ordinated in a way that was best for the area.

Steam Railway Country Park Lighthouse Beach Lifeboat Amusements Shops Festivals Sea Pier Cafes Hospital Schools Banks Post Office Hotels Public Houses Bus Cinema Toilets

Population: Swanage has a population of just over 10,000 and has experienced steady population growth over recent decades. The distribution of male and female inhabitants in Swanage’s population is roughly 47% male and 53% female. The age group with the highest proportion of people is the age group (29%), Economy: 47.7% of Swanage’s economically active inhabitants are in fulltime employment, 22.5% are in part-time employment, and 3.9% are unemployed. A further 22.7% are self-employed, and 3.1% are full-time students that are in employment. The industry that employs the largest percentage of people in Swanage is the wholesale and retail trade, which employs of the working population; followed by to hotels and catering which employs 12.4%. Property: There are 5,300 dwellings in Swanage of which 83.7% have permanent residents. 3.9% are vacant, and 12.3% are second homes or holiday homes; The average price of a house in Swanage in 2005 was £220,000 House prices in Swanage have risen by 118% since 1999

MONEY:Tourism in all of Dorset generates £800 million a year survey showed income from tourists in Swanage was £12.5 million. JOBS: In Dorset 37,000 people are employed directly and indirectly in tourism sector, 65% of these in coastal areas. OTHER:Development of facilities essentially for tourists can be of benefit for locals.

CONGESTION: 85% of Swanage visitors come in a car, 60% stay in Swanage, 40% explore the area. CAR PARKING: Restrictions on on-street parking, high cost of car parks. OVERCROWDING: Resentment from locals WEAR & TEAR: unintentional damage e.g. footpath erosion INAPPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT: New attractions may be out of keeping with setting. POLLUTION: 35% of litter on county’s beaches is from tourists ENVIRONMENT: Wildlife disturbance, landscape damage.

HOLIDAYS ABROAD SECOND HOLIDAYS DAY TRIPS SEASONALITY GLOBAL WARMING HEALTH SHIFT IN ACCOMODATION TYPE

Lengthen holiday season Improve accommodation standards Develop inland attractions Provide more information Enhancement of environment and historic character Improvement of all weather facilities Provision of adequate facilities for traffic movement and car parking Widen image to attract specialist groups and not just “seaside” families

It focused on the long-term concerns and challenges that affect local culture, economy, environment, and social issues now and in the future. Evaluation of the 2007 Swanage Community Action Plan –balancing the needs of the tourist industry with the needs of the local community. The plan aims to address social, economic and environmental issues to improve the social structure of our communities, strengthen the local economy and enhance the environment. In doing so it should improve the quality of life and better meet the needs of the people of Purbeck, whilst maintaining the Districts environment for future generations. The objective of the Swanage Community Strategic Plan is simply to help provide long-term improvement in the quality of life of everyone living and visiting Swanage and the surrounding rural areas.

To create a “sustainable community”, a place where people want to live and work, now and in the future. To meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, to be sensitive to the environment and contribute to a high quality of life. To create a community that is safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offers equality of opportunity and good services to all. Key Priorities: The plan aims to focus resources on three key actions under each one of the five priority themes. 1. Crime Reduction2. Affordable Housing3. Transport 4. Healthy Lifestyle5. Young People

CULTURE “An environment where everyone has the opportunity to take part in a varied range of cultural, leisure and educational activities.” ECONOMY “An environment for encouraging a diverse, thriving and prosperous local economy” ENVIRONMENT “A healthy and safe environment; maintaining and enhancing the character of the area” SOCIAL “A welcoming town to visit with a strong community spirit; offering everyone a safe, friendly and affordable place to live and work”

TRANSECT – mapping of the town, industrial and housing location POINT SAMPLING - Pedestrian flow / traffic flow at points along the transect. This is a timed count. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SURVEY - Bi-polar survey using typical environmental quality measures. QUESTIONNAIRE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INDICATORS SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION