RSS East Of England Plan - Broads Authority

East of England Plan 25
centres with a fuller range of service provision. This approach should only be adopted where this would improve social,
environmental and economic sustainability and deliver improved sustainable transport accessibility, particularly by public
transport.
POLICY E6: Tourism
Local Development Documents should:
• include policies to encourage realistic and sustainable investment in the maintenance, improvement,
regeneration, extension and diversification of the region’s tourist industry;
• recognise that much tourism potential is based upon the presence of specific local features or assets e.g. the
coast and the historic cities of Cambridge and Norwich. Proposals for tourism development should be fully
sustainable in terms of their impacts on host communities, local distinctiveness and natural and built
environments, including by avoiding adverse impact on sites of national, European or international importance
for wildlife; and
• integrate with other plans and strategies for managing tourism, particularly local and regional tourism strategies
and visitor management plans, especially those for regenerating seaside resorts and extending employment
outside the traditional tourist season.
4.23 Tourism is one of the East of England’s key economic sectors and, with leisure and heritage, is projected to make one of
the highest contributions to the increase in the region’s gross domestic product. The main destinations include the
historic cities of Cambridge and Norwich, long stretches of the coast, the Broads, Chilterns and purpose built leisure
developments.
4.24 The Regional Tourism Strategy will assist the preparation of Local Development Documents and development proposals.
National good practice guidance on tourism planning was issued in 2006. Careful management and sustainable
development of tourism can create opportunities to boost local economies, enhance the natural and built environment
and contribute to the social well-being of an area. Tourism can be a catalyst to stimulate investment, revitalise deprived
areas and encourage growth in other employment sectors. The benefits in terms of reducing inequalities will be
particularly marked in the north and east of the region, where natural assets with scope for supporting increased tourism
and leisure enterprises are more prevalent than closer to London.
4.25 Particular attention should be given to tourism development in environmentally sensitive areas, including both natural and
built heritage. Such areas often attract large numbers of visitors and it is important that these qualities are protected for
future generations whilst maintaining the benefits of tourism. Significant growth in numbers in such areas can have
detrimental effects and it is in the interests of tourism developers to conserve the environment upon which they rely.
Measures to disperse visitors away from sensitive tourist hotspots such as the Heritage Coast and the Broads to areas
with the capacity to cope with larger visitor numbers can be effective. Visitor management strategies, marketing and
upgrading of infrastructure may be crucial to the future of some popular destinations.
4.26 Proposals for strategic tourism facilities should comply with Policy C2, which sets out strategic development control
criteria. Regeneration proposals for coastal resorts should address broadening the tourism season through culture led
regeneration. The region should also encourage less seasonal tourism sectors, such as business tourism.
4.27 Regional flagship tourism projects have the potential to both boost the image and profile of the region in terms of attracting
new visitors and to stimulate further growth and investment in tourism and related sectors as well as potentially providing
all-weather attractions that would spread tourism across the year. The Olympics may act as a catalyst for such