Why do you need to plan for recreation?
Worldwide research has shown that recreational enjoyment is essential to human health, key to human development, improves quality of life, reduces anti-social behaviour, builds families and communities, reduces the cost of health care, social services and policing and is a significant economic generator. This is recognised in numerous policies/plans in Wales such as the local Well-Being Plan and the Well-being of Future Generations Act. In the ‘Valuing our Environment 2006’ report recreation was identified as providing approximately a quarter of the total income in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Recreation also accounts for almost half of the area’s economic output.
While most recreation takes place informally and without adverse impact, there is clear potential for certain activities to compromise the area’s special natural qualities, and for recreational users themselves to come into conflict. There is general consensus among those organisations involved in the provision of facilities or management services that we need a Plan for the following reasons:
1. To minimise any adverse effects of recreation on the natural environment and special qualities.
2. To make the most of healthy and sustainable recreation opportunities for the local community and visitors.
3. To make the most of limited resources, ensuring they are not focused on disproportionate, localised and short term issues and ensure that vital facilities are not lost or degraded.
4. To identify desirable levels of activities for certain locations.
5. To guide the provision of facilities and information which influence activities and the location of those activities.
6. To provide opportunities for all those using the area for recreation to become more involved in managing activities themselves, thereby taking greater ownership of the National Park.
7. To identify issues likely to affect the National Park’s recreational capacity and demand in future, such as the impacts of climate change and changes in social and demographic trends.
8. To maximise sustainable benefits to the economy and support initiatives encouraging training and awareness of the recreation industry to the local community.
Enjoying the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) developed a Plan for the promotion and sustainable management of recreation in the National Park and surrounding inshore waters. Initially developed in 2011 the plan used the Wales Activity Mapping (WAM) project as an evidence based approach and takes a spatial approach to management, using Recreation Character Areas RCAs. The plan is still used as a tool to inform the current PCNP draft management plan 2020-2024. The newly collected WAM data in 2019 provides a current dataset to continue informing the plan.
You can download the Plan by clicking on the image on the right.
Whilst it is not expected to review the Plan for 5 years unless stated triggers dictate otherwise you can still comment on the Plan by using the form below. Your comments will be taken into consideration during the next review.