Broads Plan 2022 - 2027

Previous section: Theme E - Promoting understanding and enjoyment

Theme F: Connecting and inspiring communities

Landscapes for everyone | Environmental education | Volunteering | Local development | Income generation | Long-term aim | Strategic objectives and key actions

Landscapes for everyone

The Landscapes Review recognises that our National Parks and other protected landscapes are sometimes seen as an exclusive, mainly white and middle-class club, with rules only members understand and too little done to encourage first-time visitors. Those who miss out tend to be older people, the young, those from lower socio-economic groups, people with disabilities and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The Review sets out proposals to help people from all walks of life, ages and abilities to experience and enjoy our special landscapes. The Covid-19 pandemic has also given many of us a new perspective on the personal appeal and value of getting out into nature for our physical and mental health and wellbeing. At a local level, experience shows that a first-time visit is often enough to show someone that the Broads is not an exclusive club, but it is also important to provide practical and longer-term support for those who need it.

People can feel disconnected from the natural environment for various reasons, such as a lack of physical or cultural access, mobility, information or simply motivation. Offering accessible, inspiring, and free or affordable opportunities can encourage people to ‘go the extra mile’ and reconnect - or perhaps connect for the first time - with all that nature has to offer. A recent success is the ‘Water, Mills and Marshes’ programme, which has delivered outreach projects enabling under-represented groups, including local migrant communities and young people, to experience the Broads at first hand. Another positive initiative is social prescribing, which recognises the benefits of the outdoors for all-round health and wellbeing.

Environmental education

The Broads is a wonderful outdoor resource for environmental education as a ‘classroom without walls’, and for wider outreach. Our long-term aim is that the Broads is a source of enjoyment, learning and personal development for every child in Norfolk and Suffolk during their school career, echoing the ‘night under the stars’ ambition of the Landscapes Review. However, providers often have to focus limited resources where they are likely to have most impact, particularly for young people who might otherwise not have a chance to experience an outdoor landscape like the Broads. The Education Strategy for the Broads identifies the need to increase our resources to build on existing school-based and outreach activities, including new projects following the end of the ‘Water, Mills & Marshes’ scheme in 2023, and partnerships established by Generation Green.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a long-established way to involve people in their local landscape, from practical conservation and survey work to supporting education and recreation events. An important focus for the future is to retain and build our volunteer resources by offering more varied and flexible volunteering opportunities to suit everyone, whatever their personal circumstances. The BA Volunteer Strategy has been updated, with an action plan for 2023-28.

Local development

The Broads executive area straddles parts of six district authority areas (Broadland, East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth, North Norfolk, Norwich and South Norfolk) and is home to around 6,500 people. The Broads Authority is the local planning authority, while the district councils retain all other local authority powers and responsibilities. County planning responsibilities, including minerals and waste planning, sit with Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils. The Local Plan for the Broads helps to achieve the aims of the Broads Plan through development management policies that seek to preserve and improve the area’s built environment and economy while protecting and enhancing its biodiversity, waterways, landscape character and historic environment.

The National Planning Policy Framework identifies the Broads as an area where development may be restricted because of its landscape and scenic beauty. However, it is bordered by areas identified as urban growth locations including Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (all ‘gateways to the Broads’) and the Local Needs Housing Assessment₂₄ calculates that 358 new dwellings are needed for the Broads by 2041.

While development and regeneration attracts business investment, contributes towards local services and infrastructure improvements and supports a higher quality of life, growth at the scale being planned is not without environmental impact. Robust, up-to-date planning policies and cooperation between the relevant local planning authorities will continue to be essential. The Local Plan for the Broads is under review, with an expected adoption date of 2024.

Green Infrastructure and Recreational impact Avoidance and Mitigation Strategies (GIRAMS) for Norfolk and Suffolk₂₅ will be used to help prevent additional recreational pressure on European designated sites, in part due to the proposed housing growth in the wider local area. In March 2022, Natural England released guidance to local planning authorities (including the Broads Authority) in areas where protected habitats sites are in unfavourable condition due to excess nutrients, with a requirement for new development to achieve nutrient neutrality. At the time of writing this Plan, the Authority is working with neighbouring Local Planning Authorities on how to address this issue₂₆.

Income generation

Section 1.3 highlights the pressures on the Broads Authority’s income, and the need for those managing England’s protected landscapes to seek increased and more diverse sources of funding. The Authority will continue to work with its Broads Plan partners and the National Parks family to improve income generation to support local projects and services.

Long-term aim

People from all walks of life and all ages and abilities are able to connect with the Broads for their health and wellbeing. Educational and outreach opportunities make use of the area’s natural and cultural assets to inspire and motivate everyone, especially young people, as part of lifelong learning. People feel actively involved in decisions about the future of the Broads. Volunteering provides beneficial opportunities for enjoyment, wellbeing and enhanced life skills, and is recognised as a valuable resource in looking after the Broads. Strong planning frameworks and cross-boundary cooperation between local authorities provide vibrant opportunities for socio-economic and environmental sustainability, regeneration and diversification in ways that continue to protect and enhance the distinctive character and assets of the Broads and support thriving local communities.

Theme F: Strategic objectives and key actions

F1 - Increase and promote accessible and ‘taster’ activities that foster physical and mental health and wellbeing for all, including under-represented groups

F2 - Offer varied, flexible and sustainable volunteering opportunities and skills training to suit diverse audiences

F3 - Provide and expand schools-based and outreach environmental education opportunities for young people, using the Broads as a learning resource

F4 - Provide up-to-date planning policy, site-specific allocations and planning guidance to support local community needs and ensure development happens within environmental limits

F5 - Increase income generation to support Broads-themed projects