A single access agreement has been introduced for commercial coasteering activity providers using National Trust venues on the Pembrokeshire coast.

The agreement – a Coasteering Concordat – aims to provide support to high quality, sustainable and long term commercial adventurous activities.  The Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum were commissioned by the National Trust to produce the Concordat and implement the agreement from March 2015 onwards.

The Coasteering Concordat replaced the previous system of site-specific licensing that the National Trust operated at some of the most popular coasteering venues in its care (Ceibwr, Abercastle and the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi).  It also provided informative guides to the sustainable use of other National Trust coasteering venues where access conflicts have not arisen to date, including Porth Clais and Stackpole Quay.

The project is funded by Visit Wales’ Partnership for Growth (P4G) Fund, which promotes joint working and collaborative projects to help grow the tourism economy in a sustainable way in Wales.

Andrew Tuddenham, National Trust Manager North Pembrokeshire said, “We’re keen to ensure that high quality adventurous activity experiences are offered at the special places in our care, and to provide a simple process to help the outdoor activity sector use these venues sustainably and safely.  It benefits no-one if these places are degraded by insensitive use. We hope that the Coasteering Concordat will make it easier for activity leaders to operate harmoniously with other users and local communities, and add value to their offer.”

The Concordat site guides will be produced through consultation with the Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group, Natural Resources Wales, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, harbour managers, community councils, and other key stakeholders.

Paul Renfro, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum Sustainable Recreation Coordinator, said, “This agreement is a great example of how the Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group is proactively working with all stakeholder to ensure the sustainable use of Pembrokeshire’s natural environments for adventure and leisure activities.”

The Coasteering Concordat is modelled on Natural Resources Wales’ Waterfalls Area Activity Concordat with the South Wales Outdoor Activity Providers Group.