Policy RY1: Policy Framework for Rye and Rye Harbour
The supporting text 10.20 raises a number of concerns and measures to address these issues
10.20 "It is acknowledged that there is a requirement for the sensitive management of tourism (from local sources and those further afield) in the Dungeness complex of internationally important wildlife sites. To retain their conservation status and preserve their integrity there will be requirement for effective management measures to be implemented and agreed with the
relevant stakeholders and agencies in parallel with the promotion of future tourism and recreational activity in the area around the Dungeness international sites. These may include increased wardening, dissemination of guidelines/advice to the public, screening of recreational activities, changes in site access/routing of footpaths or managing visitor numbers to areas of interest and will also involve the implementation of appropriate monitoring arrangements and the development of a sustainable access strategy to manage visitor numbers in order to ensure that increased recreational activity does not lead to an adverse effect on the integrity of the sites."
Policy RY1: Policy Framework for Rye and Rye Harbour
(viii) Maintain and enhance navigation on the River Rother and the viability of the Port of Rye as a working harbour, having particular regard to protecting the integrity of internationally designated habitats;
(ix) Promote green tourism initiatives, including careful management of the Rye
Harbour Nature Reserve, which protect the integrity, and where possible enhance the internationally important ecological interests;
Generally Natural England is satisfied with this policy and supportive text in relation to Rye Harbour, tourism and the N2K sites. We would just like clarity around the wording „enhance‟ for bullet (viii). Does this cover future development and expansion at the harbour? This could be made clearer perhaps.
Bullet (ix) should also contain some wording to hook in some of the measures that may be required to protect the N2K sites from tourism and recreation as outline in the supportive text 10.20.
Clarification is needed as to whether, within the Rye Harbour area, green tourism at Camber sands and Broomhill frontages are considered. These experience heavy usage from recreation and leisure pursuits and may require a suite of measures to address these issues should the impact increase towards significant levels.
Section 10.20 goes a long way to describing the type of monitoring and strategic approach required to protect the integrity of Natura 2000 sites in this and the neighbouring district of Shepway. A collaborative program would be the way forward on this and a policy hook in this policy on Rye, the general tourism policy and other related site policies that include designated sites needs to be included.
Finally in addition to the mention of Natura 2000 sites in relation to impacts from development and tourism it would be good to see a policy point here that is about enhancing these areas for their own value this may tie into the policy wording of the Romney Marsh BOA highlighted in the biodiversity policy but it would be good to provide a spatial reference in the plan.