North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast Management Plan 2015 – 2020 Produced by the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Coastal Forum Partnership North York Moors National Park Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, North Yorkshire and Cleveland Coastal Forum BACKGROUND 2 National Objectives 4 Heritage Coast Management 4 Management Resources 7 Planning Policy Context 8 Relationship with other strategies and EU Directives 9 Coastal Economy 10 CONSERVATION OF THE COASTLINE – National Objective 1 11 Landscape 11 Seascapes 12 Natural Environment 12 Geological Conservation 14 Coastal Villages and the Built Environment 14 Historic Environment 15 PUBLIC ENJOYMENT AND RECREATION – National Objective 2 16 Access 17 Interpretation and Tourism 18 Visitor, Transport and Traffi c Issues 19 IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF COASTAL WATERS AND BEACHES – Objective 3 20 Litter 20 Bathing Water Quality 20 Beach Awards 21 Emergency Planning 21 COASTAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – National Objective 4 22 Land Use 22 Fishing 22 OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCING COASTAL MANAGEMENT 24 Conclusion 27 APPENDICES AND MAPS 29 - 44 Background Fig 1.1 The purpose of this organisations that develop 1. North Northumberland Management Plan is to the strategies and plans for 2. Durham provide a framework for these areas. management of the North 3. North Yorkshire & Cleveland The concept of Heritage Yorkshire and Cleveland 4. Flamborough Head Coasts was fi rst proposed Heritage Coast over the 5. Spurn Point in 1970. Today many of next fi ve years. It replaces 6. North Norfolk the fi nest stretches of the Heritage Coast 7. Suffolk undeveloped outstanding Strategy 2008 – 2013 and 8. South Foreland natural coastlines have builds on achievements 9. Dover – Folkestone been defi ned as Heritage from that period. 10. Sussex Coast (see fi g. 1.1). The North 11. Tennyson The new plan is based on the Yorkshire and Cleveland 12. Hamstead original national objectives Heritage Coast was 13. Purbeck set out for Heritage Coasts defi ned in 1974 by the then 14. West Dorset around England and Wales. Countryside Commission 15. East Devon Natural England is the (now Natural England) with 16. South Devon national body that oversees small boundary changes 17. Rame Head work undertaken on Heritage negotiated in 1981 and 1996. 18. Gribbin Head – Polperro Coasts in England whilst 19. The Roseland the relevant local coastal 20. The Lizard authorities are the 21. Isles of Scilly 22. Pentwith 23. Godrevy – Portreath 24. St.Agnes 25. Trevose Head 26. Pentire Point – Widemouth 27. Hartland 28. Hartland (Devon) 29. Lundy 30. North Devon 31. Exmoor 32. St.Bees Head Fig 1.1 2 North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast Management Plan | 2015 - 2020 The North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast boundary extends for 55 kilometres or 34 miles between Saltburn by the Sea in Cleveland and Scalby Mills, near Scarborough (See fi g 1.2) The original Countryside Commission policy statement on Heritage Coasts stated that: ‘All Heritage Coasts should have a management plan stating how Heritage Coast objectives are to be met, including the organisations involved, the targets to be adopted, the resources that will be required, and a timetable for implementation. The plan should complement the statutory plan policies and should also accord with, or be an identifi able part of, Fig 1.2 any National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) management plan that relates to the area. The original purpose of defi ning Heritage Coasts was not simply to identify them for protection but to focus on the management needs of the coasts and the relationship between different and sometimes confl icting issues’. Robin Hood’s Bay and Ravenscar (Mike Kipling) 3 National Objectives for Heritage Coasts The original policy document public by improving and 4. To take account of the published in 1992 by the extending opportunities needs of agriculture, Countryside Commission for for recreational, forestry and fi shing and Heritage Coasts identifi ed educational, sporting of the economic needs the following objectives; and tourist activities of these small coastal that draw on and are communities, through 1. To conserve, protect consistent with, the promoting sustainable and enhance the conservation of their forms of social and natural beauty of these natural beauty and economic development, coasts, including their the protection of their which in themselves terrestrial, littoral and heritage features; conserve and enhance marine fl ora and fauna, the natural beauty and 3. To maintain and improve and their heritage heritage features. (where necessary) features of architectural, the environmental historical and health of inshore waters archaeological interest; affecting Heritage 2. To facilitate and enhance Coasts and their beaches their enjoyment, through appropriate understanding and works and management appreciation by the measures and Management of the Heritage Coast The national policy on It has been the Heritage Coasts are Heritage Coasts also makes commitment and properly protected and clear recommendations enthusiasm of Heritage funds secured for their about the management of Coast Offi cers and management; the Heritage Coast. Although Rangers that has led to A management plan is there has been no recent successful management prepared for the area review of Heritage Coast measures. However, including the intertidal policy at a national level their brief has often strand and adjacent the original objectives are been too limited and the inshore waters and still very relevant in 2015. resources only suffi cient The original policy to cope with small scale The management statement noted that; management measures. plans implementation Many problems remain is overseen through Local authorities that require the full use of a countryside should take the prime all local authority powers management approach responsibility for and greater fi nancial towards practical work, Heritage Coast matters; resources; through liaison with all There is a need for interests involved in the Local authorities need Heritage Coasts to have management and use to ensure that each has an identity within a local of the Heritage Coast such a service and that authority; and through statutory the responsibilities are planning. For those Heritage Coasts clearly defi ned at all within National Parks, levels, including senior National Park Authorities ones so that the principle should look after tasks are carried out; Heritage Coast interests; 4 North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast Management Plan | 2015 - 2020 Coordination of Heritage Coast management This new plan has been of the Tees Estuary) through EU recommendation on County Council, National produced by a coastal to Speeton (southern coastal Integrated Coastal Zone Trust, National Farmers partnership consisting of the boundary of the county of Management (ICZM), Union and the North North York Moors National North Yorkshire) and includes the Forum is tasked with East Inshore Fisheries Park Authority, North the entire length of the North overseeing many of the Conservation Authority Yorkshire County Council, Yorkshire and Cleveland coastal plans for North Redcar & Cleveland Borough Heritage Coast. The coastline Yorkshire and Cleveland. The terms of reference for Council and the North within the Forum area north The full Forum consists the North Yorkshire and Yorkshire and Cleveland and south of the Heritage of over 160 coastal Cleveland Coastal Forum Coastal Forum. These Coast contains some varied organisations and individuals are to provide: organisations will ensure land and seascapes that are who take an active interest ‘An integrated Forum for that the plan is implemented of considerable value. in coastal matters. the co-ordination of coastal and monitored as The Coastal Forum is a The Forum partners include management focusing on opportunities allow. non- statutory body and Scarborough Borough conservation, recreation, The North Yorkshire and has been in existence Council, Redcar & Cleveland coastal and fl ood defence, Cleveland Coastal Forum since 2002. Developed Borough Council, North natural processes, water covers the area between by the local authority York Moors National Park quality and marine issues, South Gare (southern bank partners in response to the Authority, North Yorkshire tourism and the economy’. Coastal Forum members gather at the annual conference 2014 (J. Beech) 5 Heritage Coast boundary The boundaries of the but it is considered that the due to their undeveloped Heritage Coast are identifi ed extent of inshore waters up nature, the coastline between on site by stone boundary to 3 miles out to sea is an Holbeck and Filey could well markers. These are situated obvious marker for infl uential qualify for Heritage Coast on the cliff above the Ship management. status on certain grounds. Inn at Saltburn, Upgang A proposal from Scarborough The majority of the Heritage Chine at Whitby, Abbey Field Borough Council to include Coast lies within the at Whitby and Scalby Mills this area as Heritage Coast boundaries of the North near Scarborough. The entire was put to Natural England York Moors National Park, coastal frontage between in 2009. Unfortunately, at a nationally designated these stones is included that time Natural England landscape selected for its in the Heritage Coast, were not in a position to intrinsic merits as an area with a small area at Whitby defi ne or designate any of beautiful and unspoilt being excluded due to more protected landscapes country and magnifi cent Heritage Coast boundary its developed nature. or alter boundaries. coast with a wealth of marker at Upgang, However, this is still an The inland boundary is the architectural interest. The Whitby (J. Beech) action that the Heritage fi rst major road from the National Park designation Coast Partnership would clifftop, or as is the case overlaps the Heritage Coast like to see implemented as at Robin Hood’s Bay the status for approximately 70% opportunities arise and as old railway line or Cinder of the coastal area and brings such should be included as Track. This gives a linear increased protection for the an option for this Plan.