The Broads Act
The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Authority was set up through a special Act of Parliament (The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act) in 1988 and began operating as a Special Statutory Authority in 1989.
It is the general duty of the Authority to manage the Broads for the purposes of:
- Conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Broads;
- Promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Broads by the public; and
- Protecting the interests of navigation.
The Broads Act also sets down the need for the Authority to have regard to the needs of agriculture and forestry, and the economic and social interests of those who live or work in the Broads.
These duties are similar to those of Britain's national parks and by creating a Special Statutory Authority the Government recognised that the Broads needed the same level of protection as the national parks of England and Wales. The Broads benefits from being part of a wider family of specially protected areas, including the national parks, yet also has the advantage of its own tailor-made legislation in order to deal with specific issues in the Broads, notably the protection of navigation interests.
Before the Broads Act
In retrospect it is clear to see that the Broads was left without a special organisation solely dedicated to managing the area for too long. By the 1950s much of the clear water of the Broads had become cloudy, bankside reed and vegetation were eroding, and acres of unmanaged fen were slowly turning to scrub. In parallel with this, there was an increase in tourism as the marketing of the Broads brought many thousands of new visitors.
But it was not until 1967 that the then Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England) published an alarming report about the degradation of the Broads. This was followed by a study commissioned by the Norfolk Naturalists Trust (now known as the Norfolk Wildlife Trust), published in 1976.
The Countryside Commission (now also Natural England) took up the case and urged the local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk to provide proper management for the area in order to halt and, if possible, reverse the decline.
A special organisation to manage the Broads was finally established in 1978. Its membership was made up of representatives from the local authorities in the area. It was funded by the local authorities in rough proportion to their membership, with 50 % grants from the Countryside Commission (now the Countryside Agency) towards staff and special projects, together with small contributions from other bodies including the water and navigation authorities.
The original Broads Authority took on the management of an area which was suffering from severe environmental problems, so it was faced with the task of instituting a programme of restoration. Much was achieved during those early years.
A programme of research and experimental management was begun which led to the Authority's first restoration project at Cockshoot Broad. Important links were set up with the tourism industry; three Broads Information Centres were built, together with Toad Hole Cottage Museum.
Another landmark in those early years was the successful introduction of the Broads Grazing Marsh Conservation Scheme co-funded by the Countryside Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This proved to be the forerunner of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas scheme, which aims to protect traditional farming in sensitive landscapes.
After five years the non-statutory Broads Authority was the subject of a review by the Countryside Commission which concluded that the Broads should be looked after by one body with adequate powers and resources to manage the whole Broads area, both land and water. The Broads Authority became a Special Statutory Authority created by the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988.
