Representation by The Suffolk Coast Ltd (The Suffolk Coast Ltd )
- Date submitted
- 30 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Background The Suffolk Coast Destination Management Organisation (TSC) was formed in 2012, with the purpose of promoting the Suffolk coast as a visitor destination. Prior to this, tourism promotion was predominantly funded by government, but sweeping changes in public finances required an alternative approach. TSC has a volunteer board, 1.9 staff (FTE) and a membership of approximately 220 businesses. TSC does not cover a fixed and formal geographical catchment, but is broadly responsible for marketing the tourism assets of East Suffolk. The value of tourism within the whole of East Suffolk is approximately £695M per annum, with 14.6K jobs. Tourism within the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths AONB is worth £228M pa, with 5K tourism jobs. This data can be found in the 2019 ‘volumes and values’ studies carried out by Destination Research. In 2019, responding to growing concern from its members, TSC commissioned leading consultants BVA BDRC to produce a survey to evaluate the impact that Sizewell C (SZC) and other large scale energy projects would have on visitor demand. BVA BDRC worked with Destination Research to quantify the likely financial impact and job losses. EDF Energy commissioned an equivalent report by Ipsos Mori, which produced startlingly similar results to the BVA BDRC report in terms of visitor demand, yet made no attempt to quantify the financial impacts or tourism job losses. TSC is engaged in discussions with EDF Energy about the SZC project and the creation of the promised Tourism Fund. Areas of concern Having reviewed the DCO materials, some of TSC’s concerns are that: • SZC would cause damage to the perception of the area. Currently it is viewed as a place of peace and tranquillity. This is a key strength. The environment was cited in the BVA study as one of the main reasons that tourists visit the area. • The altered perception of the area will be to one of heavy construction and severe HGV and LGV traffic congestion. • A downturn in visitor numbers, created by this change in perception, could lead to a the loss of hundreds of jobs in this key local industry. • EDF Energy has not attempted to measure the economic downturn in the visitor economy, whereas TSC, a tiny organisation by comparison, has. • The promised Tourism Fund has not yet been quantified. • The cumulative impacts of SZC and other significant energy projects have not been considered. Conclusions Informed by its own research, which resembles EDF’s own findings, TSC is highly concerned that the SZC project would have a significant detrimental impact on the visitor economy and jobs. At this stage in the process the impacts on the tourism economy have not yet been properly evaluated or mitigated by EDF Energy. TSC intends to continue dialogue with EDF Energy about a Tourism Fund, should the project be granted consent. A major campaign effort will be need to mitigate the damage to the reputation of the area and to encourage tourists to visit. TSC intends to contribute to future stages of the DCO process when details of the process are published.