Recent Poll Of National Parks

[Vaughan]

30 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

So I guess another question would be, would people be more supportive of an organisation, (that could be the BA, or the EA, or sub department of the EA) who's sole remit was the maintenance of the rivers and broads, immediate river banks and moorings. With planning handed back to the local councils, and tourism being promoted by the county councils?

You mean the Rivers Yare, Bure and Waveney Commissioners, I assume.

"Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose"

There are those of us who grew up on the Broads, and in its boating businesses, who never wanted the BA in the first place.

[vanessan]

1 hour ago, EastCoastIPA said:

So I guess another question would be, would people be more supportive of an organisation, (that could be the BA, or the EA, or sub department of the EA) who's sole remit was the maintenance of the rivers and broads, immediate river banks and moorings. With planning handed back to the local councils, and tourism being promoted by the county councils?

The idea certainly has its merits but that would mean there would have to be another organisation responsible for conservation. Then I could see lots of disagreement between the various parties. 

[Cheesey69]

The Thames has towpaths and very accessible to the public, mooring is a lot easier and more, to me at least, open feel.

As been said before, The Broads needs to be seen and used by the public warts and all.

The dismal lack of mooring near popular places and as I see it, a decline of amenities will slowly strangle the area. 

I live about a hundred miles from the area and I ask people I work with have they heard of the Broads hardly anyone under the age of 40 can say yes, let alone take the family out for a visit.

[batrabill]

TOURISM IN NORFOLK

Tourism is the largest sector industry in the county, supporting 65,398 jobs (18.4% of all employment) and contributing £3.245 billion to the local economy.

Research estimates that in 2017 there were 3,266,000 staying trips to Norfolk, staying a total of 13,492,000 nights. The total number of day visitors was estimated at 43,443,000.

 

From Visit Norfolk. 

[batrabill]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/business/visit-norfolk-tourism-industry-2017-record-breaking-1-5700487

Since we have had a record breakingly hot summer and Thomas Cook said it had seen a drop in numbers going abroad I would be quite surprised if NORFOLK and Suffolk hasn’t seen good numbers and I’d also be amazed if, come Christmas local holiday businesses weren’t seeing high bookings. 

Unless I got my information from the NBN where I will find out its all doom and gloom. 

[ChrisB]

Here is a Breakdown but tourist statistics is not what this is about is it? It started as The Broads National Park's poor showing against other National Parks which it can't compete with. I bet Great Yarmouth accounts for one third of Norfolk Tourism and the North Coast's conservation areas anoth huge chunk.

[batrabill]

Why poor showing? The comparison is meaningless. 

On that basis the whole of the UK is crap because so many people go to London. 

This is illogical, or actually it’s just nonsense. 

Show me change in tourism numbers, up or down and you’ll have my attention. 

 

[ChrisB]

4 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I am going to throw a bit of a spanner in the works now!

Susie and I have just got back from a lovely week in a hire boat on the Thames. I have known this river ever since I was at school at Pangbourne and I worked there in Staines 25 years ago. As far as I can see, it hasn't changed much!

It has style, atmosphere and hundreds of years of history. Traditionally appointed the Queen's Highway. That was Good Queen Bess, by the way! It was always run by the Thames Conservancy, who were similar to the Broads Commissioners. It then became part of the National Rivers Authority and it is now wholly controlled by the Environment Agency, who are responsible for maintenance as well as navigation.

Unlike the Broads, it is an alluvial river which is made navigable by weirs and locks, so there is a lot more maintenance, more actual land ownership and a lot more manpower requirement.

Goring lock and weir

Temple Island, at the start of the Henley regatta course.

The Thames Valley is not a National Park and has no need to be. As it has a tow path it can offer many other activities to the public, on the Thames Path, where you can walk or cycle the whole way from London to Oxford, through some of the most beautiful countryside in the south of England.

Private boats, and marinas abound, with river tolls paid to the EA.

So my obvious question is :

If the EA can be in sole charge of all this, and make such an overall good job of it, what do we need the Broads Authority for, when the EA seem to be doing a great deal of work on the Broads anyway? Are the BA just an expensive overlap of extra bureaucracy?

An old Broads river inspector's launch, spotted on a mooring outside the Angel at Henley.

 

You have made me homesick for the Beech tree wooded escarpments of the Thames Valley and especially Temple Island. So much so that I have just booked myself 4 nights at the Danesfield between Marlow and Henley. Got a fantastic deal as well. The view from the rear of the hotel down to the river far below  is wonderful.

[ChrisB]

36 minutes ago, batrabill said:

Why poor showing? The comparison is meaningless. 

On that basis the whole of the UK is crap because so many people go to London. 

This is illogical, or actually it’s just nonsense. 

Show me change in tourism numbers, up or down and you’ll have my attention. 

 

Please read the original post again. I agree that the survey is totally flawed and most posters on here agree that and are defending The Broads. What most are saying is:-

1. The Broads cannot hope to compete with the likes of The Lake District. And 2. The Geographical nature of the Broads make them unsuitable to be a NP, unless the North Coast is included say from Weybourne to Brancaster.

 

[dnks34]

1 hour ago, ChrisB said:

Please read the original post again. I agree that the survey is totally flawed and most posters on here agree that and are defending The Broads. What most are saying is:-

1. The Broads cannot hope to compete with the likes of The Lake District. And 2. The Geographical nature of the Broads make them unsuitable to be a NP, unless the North Coast is included say from Weybourne to Brancaster.

 

Both areas fortunately outside of Dr Ps jurisdiction !! 

[JennyMorgan]

6 hours ago, EastCoastIPA said:

A good question. I guess the main difference is that the EA have no responsibility for promoting the area, or acting as the local planning authority for the area. It concentrates on doing what it does best, maintaining the navigation and infrastructure that supports that navigation.

So I guess another question would be, would people be more supportive of an organisation, (that could be the BA, or the EA, or sub department of the EA) who's sole remit was the maintenance of the rivers and broads, immediate river banks and moorings. With planning handed back to the local councils, and tourism being promoted by the county councils?

I don't remember the Harbour commissioners being responsible for planning or tourism?   

I have great faith in the principle of the Broads Authority and firmly believe that it could work but without mincing my words it needs to go back to page one. There are facets of the present leadership that have created a less than palatable legacy and that is going to be a hard one to undo.  Before anyone asks, and in a nutshell, the Officers should be the servants of the Authority rather than the Authority being the servants of the Officers.