‘Turn tide’ call on seascape damage

Seascapes, made up of coastal and inshore sea areas, play a significant role in people’s well-being, according to a National Trust poll which found two-thirds of those quizzed thought visiting the coast or seaside was important to their quality of life.

But there are fears that beautiful seascapes could be damaged by development such as wind turbines and other renewable energy, oil extraction, dredging for aggregates, more shipping and port development unless steps are taken to protect them.

Campaign groups said that it was more than 60 years since special areas on land were given protection, in the form of national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty designations (AONB).

While more than half the country’s important protected landscapes lie on the coast, including national treasures such as the Pembrokeshire coast in south-west Wales, protection for them ends at the water’s edge.

With a new system of marine planning being developed, campaigners have released a manifesto calling for recognition that seascapes are more than just a view.

They want the Government and devolved administrations to take action to carry out assessments of the character of seascapes, identify areas that are of national importance and a mechanism by which they can be protected.

Phil Dyke, coast and marine adviser at the National Trust, said that seascapes which could be protected from development include areas which border national parks or AONBs such as the Pembrokeshire coast, the Gower Peninsula or the South Downs coast at the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.

Other areas, such as The Wash in Lincolnshire, could be recognised for their unique character, he added.

“As an island nation it does seem strange that it’s taken us more than six decades to start thinking about how we protect our seascapes, these wonderful yet fragile places that mean so much to people,” he said.

Neil Sinden, policy and campaigns director of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said: “Our marine area is becoming increasingly busy, with more shipping, military training, fisheries, energy production, port development and aggregate extraction.

“This is placing pressure on what’s left of the beauty and tranquillity of our coasts which are such an important part of our quality of life and national identity.

“That’s why we need a robust marine planning system that extends the protection that we have for our landscapes to our seascapes.”

There are mixed views on the idea among some of those who live on the coast of Yorkshire, however, which will soon be home to clusters of offshore wind farms.

Richard Stead, a lifelong Withernsea resident and East Riding Council member for South East Holderness, said: “Personally, I think they are a lot better offshore than on land. We have had oil rigs out there for years and people see them and get used to them. There are far more out there than people realise.

“I don’t think offshore wind farms are a great eyesore. I can understand the concerns of shellfishermen but I’m sure that can be got around. I’m quite content to have them offshore.”

But a woman who lives near Aldbrough said: “The Holderness coast is going to be jam-packed with onshore and offshore turbines. On a clear day you can see all the way to Flamborough at one end of Bridlington Bay and almost to Spurn and miles out to sea. That view is going to be lost – particularly off Withernsea – and I don’t think people realise what a huge change it will be. It seems a real shame.”

The manifesto for coasts and seascapes is supported by the National Trust, the CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural Wales, Campaign for National Parks, the National Association of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Europarc Atlantic Isles.