1. The English Coastal Path - Challenges and Opportunities A Personal View
Lynn Crowe
Department of the Natural and Built Environment
Sheffield Hallam University

2. Back in the day..... Unfinished business Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 finally received Royal Assent in November 2009.
Charities celebrated the arrival of this long awaited Marine Act with an event at the London Aquarium. Guest speakers at the event were the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn, and RSPB President, Kate Humble.

3. Challenges? Multiple use and landownership Conservation v. access
Funding

4. Challenges Multiple use and landowners
Consider past history - open access land
Address fears & problems - don't worry about values
Consensus building -
Roger Sidaway - " Resolving Environmental Disputes - From Conflict to Consensus"

5. Challenges Conservation v. Access
Be specific - avoid generalised statements
There is no general conflict between recreation and conservation. There are specific issues - which we can manage.
Good management practice
e.g. Solent Recreation Mitigation Strategy.
e.g. Stanage Forum, Peak District
Best of Both Worlds web site???
A disturbance is defined as “any phenomenon that causes a significant change in the dynamics or ecological characteristics of populations of birds” (EU Commission, 1992).
Although these results may imply that disturbance does have an effect on the waterbirds of the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast EMS, it does not necessarily imply that there is a great impact on individuals or populations (Gill, 2007; Ravenscroft and others, 2007). Waterbirds have the capability to compensate for any lost feeding time by shifting their activities to another time, location, or by lengthening the overall feeding time (Urfi and others, 1996). Furthermore, the mass of human activities tend to be restricted to daylight hours whilst waterbirds are still active at night (Mouritsen, 1994). On the other hand, should recreational activities disturb the birds during their nocturnal activities, the chances of failing to reach their target fat reserves would greatly increase (Stillman and others, 2007).
Solent Recreation Mitigation Strategy -
The mitigation measures are being funded by financial contributions from housing developments. The initial £172 per dwelling developer contribution figure was updated to £174 on 1 April 2015 to take account of inflation.
How does new housing around the Solent affect birds on the shoreline?
The Solent coast is internationally important for its wildlife, with 90,000 waders and over 10 per cent of the global population of Brent Geese. The three Special Protection Areas - Chichester & Langstone Harbours SPA, Portsmouth Harbour SPA, and Solent & Southampton Water SPA - were designated primarily to protect these waders and wildfowl, many of which travel thousands of miles to over-winter on the Solent. The additional population from the building of new homes will mean an increase in recreational activity at the coast. Recreational activity such as people walking, cycling and jogging, and the presence of dogs, often disturbs the birds. Disturbance reduces the birds' opportunities to feed which can mean they have insufficient energy to survive the winter or to complete their migratory journey to their breeding sites, leading to a reduction in the bird population.
The research undertaken for the Solent considered a range of potential mitigation measures, from initiatives which will influence visitor behaviour (publicity, signage, rangers etc.) to access management and enforcement measures. The creation of new greenspace - Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANGs) - in less environmentally-sensitive locations was also seen as having the potential to deflect recreational pressure away from the SPAs. Although most people visit the coast specifically to see the sea and enjoy the coastal scenery, having a short travel time from home is also important to them and for dog walkers it is of equal importance. So the research concluded that some people may be persuaded to visit a SANG instead of going to a section of coast within the SPAs, provided that the SANG is attractive and close to their homes.
Based on the research and the principles above, the following interim package of mitigation measures will be implemented:-
 a team of rangers who will work on the ground to reduce disturbance by influencing the behaviour of visitors;
 initiatives to encourage responsible dog walking and encourage dog owners to go to less sensitive parts of the coast;
 a monitoring scheme to track the implementation of mitigation measures and to assess their effectiveness;
 a project officer who will coordinate and help implement the mitigation measures in this document, undertake monitoring and prepare the definitive mitigation strategy;
 a financial contribution towards a pilot project to test the effectiveness of providing alternative recreation opportunities.
5.2. The pilot project is the creation of the Alver Valley Country Park in Gosport Borough. It will include picnic areas, trails, footpaths, cycleways, bridleways and interpretative facilities together with a visitor centre. These facilities and the Park's location in close proximity to the coast and proposed residential development sites means it has the potential to act as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (see paragraph 3.7 above) and lessen pressure on the SPAs.
5.3. As it is a pilot, an assessment will be undertaken of how the new Country Park is used by the public which will inform decisions on whether support for similar facilities is part of the definitive strategy. However, even if the Alver Valley Country Park is not fully effective as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, the local planning authorities are satisfied that the other elements of this strategy are capable of avoiding a likely significant effect on the SPAs
BBC - Radio 4 Shared Planet programme - hosted by Monty Don September Dr. Julie Heath, Prof. Jennifer Gill UEA - recreational disturbance response similar to predator response.
`More and more of us are getting out into the countryside"???
The effects of disturbance on habitat use by black-tailed godwits Limosa limosa Jennifer A. Gill1,*, Ken Norris2 and William J. Sutherland1 Journal of Applied Ecology Volume 38, Issue 4, pages 846–856, August 2001
Shorebirds often show strong avoidance of humans (Burger 1981; Kirby, Clee & Seager 1993; Smit & Visser 1993) and some studies have shown their numbers to be lower in disturbed than undisturbed sites (Klein, Humphrey & Percival 1995). However, we found no evidence that human presence reduced the number of black-tailed godwits that were supported on coastal sites at a range of spatial scales. The study took place on estuaries that varied widely in both the level and type of human activity, but neither had any influence on godwit distribution or abundance. There was also no effect of the presence of marinas or footpaths on the number of godwits supported on the adjacent mudflats.

6. Challenges Funding Who pays? For initiation and co-ordination.
For initial infrastructure?
For information and visitor services?
For on-going maintenance and staff presence?
Alternative mechanisms for funding `ecosystem services` - as opposed to public funding in this `age of austerity`?
Economic case needed for private and public investment.
Partnerships with NGOs and willing partners

7. Other UK Examples - Nurture Lakeland - (https://nurturelakeland.org)
The Nurture Lakeland VPS in Cumbria is the most successful in the UK; it has raised almost £2m in donations from visitors and tourists over a 17 year period. The scheme has been used to restore footpaths, support conservation of nesting ospreys, and improve water quality.
Our organisation was originally launched on 23 May 1994 as the 'Lake District Tourism and Conservation Partnership' and rapidly went from strength to strength - with tourism businesses joining up to collect donations from visitors through voluntary additions to room bills and other transactions.
The organisation was rebranded 'Nurture Lakeland' in 2008 to recognise the new challenge of climate change and the role we could play in promoting responsible tourism.

8. Nurture Lakeland - Annual Report 2013/14 -
Around £112K raised in 2013/14

9. Opportunities
Economic benefits
Health and well-being benefits

10. Opportunities Economic benefits
Evidence on economic benefits of outdoor recreation and tourism
e.g. Research based on the South West Coast -
e.g. Sheffield Outdoor Economy report -
e.g. Economic impact of health benefits of the Welsh coastal path -
All important - but stories probably just as important....

11. Opportunities - Economic Benefits

12. Opportunities Health and well-being benefits -
Physical and mental health benefits
Inspiration - risk - adventure
Young people - confidence and capacity

13. It's just a wonderful, amazing thing to do!
Opportunities
It's just a wonderful, amazing thing to do!

14. 14 November 2009
Marine and Coastal Access Act: our coast is now a treasure to share
Television presenter Nicholas Crane hails the landmark law that will allow us all to enjoy the extraordinary riches of Britain’s shoreline.

15. Communicating your message?
Objectivity is for evidence collection
Passion and conviction is for sharing that evidence
Stories?
Champions?

16. Futerra - Branding Biodiversity - - http://www. futerra. co

17. Further information
Crowe, L. (2005), Promoting Outdoor Recreation Demand in the English National Parks - Guide to Good Practice, published by the Countryside Agency, CA214
Emery, S.B. and Oughton, E.A. (2011) Interventions in managing environment conflicts: what works, in what contexts and why? A report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Futerra (2010 ) Branding Biodiversity - The New Nature Message -
Gill, J.A. (2007) Approaches to measuring the effects of human disturbance on birds. Ibis, 149: 9–14.
Gill, J.A., Norris, K. & Sutherland, W.J. 2001b. Why behavioural responses may not reflect the population consequences of human disturbance. Biological Conservation 97: 265–268.
Linaker, R. (2012) Recreational Disturbance at the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast European Marine Site.
Sidaway, R. (2005) Resolving Environmental Disputes: From Conflict to Consensus, Routledge
Solent Recreation Mitigation Strategy -
Stanage Forum, Peak District National Park Authority -