Abstract
The historical background to coastal conservation in England and Wales is described from the beginnings of the conservation movement to the Countryside Commission's proposals for Heritage Coasts. Those agencies both public and private having an important role in conserving the coast are identified. Differences in their approaches are discussed with reference to the management philosophy of Heritage Coasts.Through a case study of conservation schemes in South, Mid and West Glamorgan it is shown that the Heritage Coast model is increasingly being adopted as an appropriate means of management by other agencies notably the National Trust and the Nature Conservancy Council, where recreational demand in particular is now being recognised and catered for. But the total reliance upon persuasion to manage land which is neither owned nor leased by the project remains peculiar to Heritage Coasts.
A survey of Heritage Coasts in England and Wales has been conducted to appraise the success of the concept at a national level. This has shown that 36 of the 43 designated Heritage Coasts are now under some form of management and project officers have been appointed to 29. Variations in management approaches have been identified and it is found that there has been a tailoring of basic Heritage Coast principles in response to local needs and opportunities. In some instances it is found that management responsibilities have been vested with conservation organisations rather than local authorities
Many Heritage Coasts are seen to have encountered instances where voluntary agreements have failed. It is recommended that statutory powers be made available to assist management in such instances. It is also recommended that the Countryside Commission revises its grant aid policy and provides further resources particularly for intensively used sites of special national significance.
Date of Award | Jan 1988 |
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Original language | English |
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