THE DORSET COAST. Case study area 2- Dorset Coast LOCATION This area lies on the south coast of England, between the settlements of Lyme Regis in the.

CASE STUDY 2THE DORSET COAST

Case study area 2- Dorset CoastLOCATION

This area lies on the south coast of England, between the settlements of Lyme Regis in the east and Bournemouth in the west, in the county of Dorset.

The southern boundary is the English Channel,to the north is Somerset & Wiltshire, Hampshire to the east & Devon to the west.

The area is about 180kms to the SW of London, accessed by the M3 to Southampton, 80km to the to the northeast, at Southampton.

M3

Lyme Regis

Portland Bill

Swanage

Bournemouth

The physical geography can be divided into 2 geographical zones;-

1. From Lyme Regis to Portland Bill there is a depositional coastline, with mostly low clay cliffs & sandy beaches with pronounced Longshore Drift resulting in sand spits, bars & tombolos

Conflicts here revolve around the management of the beach material and controversy abounds as to how the management of one area affects its neighbours.

The main conflict centres around West Bay, near Bridport

West Bay Depositional coastline

2. From Portland Bill eastwards towards Swanage. Here there is an erosional coastline, with tall, more resistant chalk cliffs being eroded and weathered.

Mass movements occur here frequently.

The conflicts revolve around the management of tourism so that it maximises the economic and social opportunities yet minimises the environmental degradation of the scenery.

The main conflict centres around Lulworth Cove.

LULWORTH COVE

Lulworth : tourism figures

• About 750,000 people visit Lulworth in a year

• 35% of them come in six weeks during July and August

• Only 10 % come during the four winter months November to February

• 95% of Lulworth’s visitors are day vistors

• The vast majority (over 90%) come by car and coach

• The Heritage Centre is Dorset’s second most visited tourist attraction and its most visited free attraction

• The footpath between Lulworth and Durdle Door is the busiest 1 mile stretch of the whole 600 mile SW Coastal Path

•95 miles of outstanding scenery and wildlife habitats e.g. the Cove, Stair Hole, cliff path views, Durdle Door•It is located on the South West Coastal Path (long distance footpath similar to West Highland Way)•Good tourist infrastructure includes cafes, hotels, B and B’s, ice cream kiosks, heritage centre, various shops, holiday park and youth hostel•West Lulworth is a picturesque village with thatched cottages and rural ambiance•The nearby fossil forest is an important geological SSSI•The ‘classic’ coastal features are of interest to students of geography and geology

What attracts visitors to Lulworth?

There is a good range of outdoor recreational activities eg: watersports, beach activities, boat trips,walking

Sites of historical interest eg Corfe Castle

Gateway towns eg Swanage, that have developed as tourist resorts

Clean & safe (blue flag status) beaches eg: Durdle Door

England’s first World Heritage Site because area depicts a geological ‘walk through time' spanning 3 geological periods. Known as The Jurassic Coast

What attracts visitors to Lulworth?

What attracts visitors to Lulworth?

Economic advantages and disadvantages of tourism

Advantages

Employment opportunities i.e. job creation

Tourist spending boosts the local economy

Local population has more money to spend locally (multiplier effect)

Local infrastructure is improved e.g. roads, railways, leisure facilities, retail outlets, medical facilities

Improved job opportunities reduces outmigration from the area

Disadvantages

Increased traffic congestion Increases in various forms of pollution

through litter, noise, vandalism, traffic Adverse impact on natural habitats Increased property prices squeeze out

local buyers Demands for new property especially

holiday accommodaton Jobs created are often seasonal and

not beneficial to local people

The Jurassic Coast :

Social and Economic Opportunities

VV ‘05

The Jurassic Coast offers a wide range of social and economic opportunities, including …

Tourism and recreationFarmingPort functions e.g. fishing, marinasMilitary land use‘Protected’ land

Farming

Agriculture is the major land use along the Jurassic coastline.

Most of the cliff top pastures support sheep grazing and dairying.

The eastern end of the coastline is underlain by chalk and grazing helps to keep the turf short and support chalk downland plants.

Port Functions

Good natural harbours along the Jurassic coast hosted a large fishing fleet in the past. Today, residual fishing activity continues from ports such as Weymouth, Lyme Regis and here in picturesque Beer in East Devon.

Fishing boats, Beer

The growth of tourism has acted as a stimulus for the development of leisure sailing activities. Developments such as this large marina at Weymouth have appeared as a consequence.

Weymouth

Military Land Use

There is a long history of military use of the Jurassic Coast :

Historically, the most important site was the naval base at Portland but this closed in 1999.

The Army Gunnery School at Lulworth (established during WW1) is now the most significant military installation.

30,000 hectares of land to the east of Lulworth are used for firing ranges including heavy tank fire. The ranges occupy cliff top land

which would is not suited to arable farming. Adjacent coastal waters do not encroach on major shipping lanes.

Protected Land

The unique quality of the landscape and its wildlife habitats merit protection by many different conservation agencies.

The local economy benefits through the creation of associated jobs and the visitors which are attracted to the area.

Tourists M.O.D.Fishermen

Farmers

Locals

Local Estate

Who uses the land around Lulworth ?

Conflicts of Land Usein and around

the Lulworth ‘Honeypot’

What are Land Use Conflicts? Land use conflicts arise when users of the land do not agree on

how it should be used: it takes at least two ‘sides’ to have a conflict.

Questions on land use conflicts will ask about-

a) What land users may be in conflict with one another? b) What actual conflicts arise between these groups? c) How can the conflicts be resolved?d) How successful are the solutions? You are asked to ‘assess’ or

‘evaluate’

These questions will be considered in the context of the Lulworth ‘Honeypot’

Case study of tourism-related conflicts in and around Lulworth

Tourists may find themselves in conflict with the following groups :

The Ministry of Defence

Local people (including Lulworth estate, the major local landowner)

The Local Authority

Environmentalists

Examples of Conflicts:

The M.O.D. v TouristsTourists are denied access to large areas around Lulworth for much of the year because of necessary military activity

What might the MOD complain about regarding the tourists?

Tourists complain about :

a)general access difficulties when roads are closed

b)restrictions which the ranges impose on walkers

The MOD does permit access to the ranges at various times. However, problems of access mean there are fewer visitors. However, this helps to preserve the downland and heathland habitats and the ranges have become a reserve for wildlife and an attraction for tourists.

MOD v Tourists

Habitat preservation

M.O.D. resolve the conflict by:Permitting access to the ranges at weekends and

busy holiday periodsKeeping roads open during the busiest holiday

periodsNoise levels associated with firing are much reduced

at these times

They also argue that limiting public access has helped to preserve the area and restrict developments which might have made the area less attractive to some tourists. Their access limitations mean that some stretches of the coastline are only accessible to people who are prepared to walk. This helps to preserve quiet stretches on the coastline.

Tourists v the Local Community

Congestion, noise and pollution

Local people complain about ……

Congestion : the road to Lulworth Cove is narrow and it is a ‘dead end’ so this part of the village has to absorb all traffic.

Inconsiderate parking : creates access problems for local people

Noise and litter : the traditional character of the village is spoiled during the summer tourist months by vehicle noise and indiscriminate litter dropping.

Litter : this creates visual pollution and is a threat to wildlife

Visual intrusion : the holiday park which is managed by the Lulworth Estate is unsightly and out of keeping with the landscape

Unsightly tourist shops : these are not in keeping with the character of the village.

Local people also complain that other shops raise prices during the tourist season.

Second homes : many houses are bought as second homes and lie empty for much of the year. House prices become inflated meaning that it is difficult for local people to buy property.

Tourists v Local Community

The tourist industry provides employment for local people, brings

money & improved services into the local economy

•The Lulworth Estate manages a car park which accommodates over 500 vehicles on hard standing and in overflow areas

•A mini roundabout has been constructed to provide easy access to the car park

• The estate also subsidises a bus service from the local railway station to encourage visitors not to come by car

Car parking charges are high. Visitors may choose to avoid this by more indiscriminate parking.

How can some of these problems be solved?

Local Landowner v Tourists

The principal local landowner, the Lulworth Estate, uses car park revenue to :

a) fund a range of facilities for tourists

b)fund conservation schemes e.g. footpath maintenance and grassland management

They also employ a number of local people

Farmers v Conservationists

High stocking rates threaten downland (chalkland)vegetation

Farmers v ConservationistsFarmers are encouraged to join schemes such as Countryside Stewardship. Farmers receive payments in return for lower stocking rates and for work to restore chalk grassland. They also have to grant educational access to their land.

Managed grassland in ‘Scratchy Bottom’ dry valley

Most of the tenant farmers on the Lulworth Estate receive Countryside

Stewardship grants.

Environmentalists and conservation groups complain that tourists cause …..

Footpath erosion : This is particularly obvious on the path from Lulworth to Durdle Door -one of the most heavily walked paths in Britain

Chalk grassland vegetation is very fragile. Trampling reveals thin soils which are easily eroded. The steep slopes above Lulworth and down to Durdle Door increase erosion rates.

Resolving the conflicts between tourists and environmentalists

Tourist car parking revenue is used by Lulworth Estate to fund :

1. Free admission to the Heritage Centre which offers a range of displays, including interpretative boards to encourage environmental conservation through public education. Also a programme of talks and guided walks

2. The Countryside Ranger Service - two full time rangers employed to undertake a wide range of coastal management duties.

3. Footpath maintenance – much work has been carried out to halt and prevent further erosion.

Lulworth to Durdle Door path been rerouted, reseeded and new waymarking inserted.

The existing path has been reinforced with local limestone cobbles and steps

New timber steps have been built on the steep paths at Durdle Door

Other environmentally friendly policies employed by the estate in its management of tourism…….

Durdle Door beach is intentionally un-commercial

The one ice cream kiosk has to be towed away every night

Litter bins are not provided – visitors are encouraged to take litter away

Climbing on the cliffs is banned to prevent damage to the fragile chalk and limit disturbance to wildlife

Fossil collecting is not permitted on the cliffs

There are plans to visually screen the holiday park

How effective is the path maintenance?

Resurfacing encourages more walkers!

The whiteness of the path is an unnatural scar on the landscape.

Steps are unnatural and walkers often choose to avoid them by walking on the grass verge

Local landowner v Environmentalists and Local Residents

This large and very visible holiday park, run by the Lulworth Estate, is seen by many to be a blot on the landscape

When discussing tourism, remember…..

Large numbers of visitors bring significant benefits to a rural area which traditionally relied on fishing and farming to sustain the economy

Tourism provides substantial full time and seasonal employment

Tourism brings revenue into the local economy

This results in greater social stability for the local population

Funds generated by tourism provide the Lulworth estate with capital for investment at the Cove and for general Estate improvements