Cabinet 10 January 2011
Agenda Item No______9_______
NORTH NORFOLK PATHFINDER – HAPPISBURGH CLIFF TOP ENHANCEMENT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT
Summary:
Conclusions:
Recommendations:
The report details the Pathfinder project proposal to relocate the car park, create a new beach access ramp and enhance the cliff top environment in Happisburgh. Authority is required to proceed with land purchases. The potential future management of the asset is described and any risks and implications detailed.
The progress of Pathfinder projects in Happisburgh are interlinked and in order to enable them to proceed, Cabinet is requested to agree the purchase of land with a value of £23,000 detailed in this report. The land purchases will enable the replacement of infrastructure which has been lost or has been affected by coastal blight and will form part of the package of measures to enable the community of Happisburgh to regenerate. It is anticipated that the new facilities will be managed by Happisburgh Parish Council into the future. Should this not be the case management would fall to
NNDC to be delivered directly or through another community partner. a) That Cabinet gives approval to proceed with the proposed scheme for the development of a replacement car park, new public lavatories, new beach access ramp, public open space and environmental enhancements. b) Cabinet resolves that the land purchases proceed (subject to planning consent) for the land identified in this report under the scheme of delegation.
Cabinet member(s):
All
Ward(s) affected:
Happisburgh
Contact Officer, telephone number, and e-mail:
Rob Young, 01263 516162, Robert.young@northnorfolk.gov.uk
1. Summary
1.1. The report details the Pathfinder project proposal to relocate the car park, create a new beach access ramp and enhance the cliff top environment in Happisburgh.

Cabinet 10 January 2011
Authority is required to proceed with land purchases. The potential future management of the asset is described and any risks and implications detailed.
2. Introduction
2.1. The Happisburgh cliff top enhancement and infrastructure project forms an integral part of the North Norfolk Coastal Pathfinder projects in the settlement of
Happisburgh. It aims to:
• replace the existing public car park in Happisburgh (which is imminently threatened by coastal erosion)
• develop new public conveniences (to replace those that were lost several years ago)
• create a new beach access ramp (to replace that which was lost in December
2002)
• restore and enhance the cliff top environment, creating new areas of public open space and footpaths as appropriate.
2.2. The project’s progress is being brought to the attention of Cabinet to seek endorsement and authority to proceed with the purchase of land to allow the replacement car park and infrastructure.
2.3. The project is considered essential to restoring confidence and investment in the village and to ensure that the impacts of erosion can continue to be managed with minimal detriment to the facilities and amenity of this important coastal location.
The initial project costs are entirely funded by the Coastal Change Pathfinder budget. Options for the ongoing ownership and management of the new facilities are being investigated and in principle agreements for the purchase of land have been negotiated.
3.1. Following the commencement of the Pathfinder programme a series of meetings were held to establish the scope and develop the details of this project. It was clear that this project would have a big impact on the village and that there were many possible options for achieving its aims; it was therefore a key element of a community planning event (Happisburgh open-day, held on 24 April 2010).
3.2. At that event a number of questions were posed about the way in which this project should be undertaken and the possible options. The level of support provided a clear mandate for the project to continue in accordance with the stated objectives but left a good deal of flexibility as far as options were concerned.
3.3. The project was first introduced to the Happisburgh Project Liaison Group at its meeting of 5 July 2010 and subsequently reported to Happisburgh Parish Council on 12 July 2010. Both groups agreed with the project aims and procedure and with the preferred site options. At a subsequent meeting on 13 September 2010 the
Parish Council agreed to set up a group to explore the issues relating to the

Cabinet 10 January 2011 ongoing management of the facilities that will result from this project. This ‘steering group’ met for the first time on 5 October 2010.
3.4. The Liaison Group will be the principle means by which the local community will be involved in this project. Wider feedback from affected members of the public will be elicited through the preparation of planning applications, and the consultation that is built in to the process of determining them.
3.5. The Coastal Management Board, at its meeting in October 2010, agreed: a) the location, scale and design of the proposed facilities; b) for negotiations to proceed for the purchase of the land required; c) for all options for the ownership and management of the facilities to be investigated, including NNDC as the default provider; and d) the procedure and timing of planning applications.
4. Proposals
4.1. The indicative scheme is shown in the plan in Appendix C. This includes: a car park of approximately 60 spaces; a suitable ‘relocatable’ toilet block, a kiosk/shop
(probably to be run by the RNLI); and field within which the beach access ramp can roll back as the cliff recedes – to be used as informal public open space.
4.2. The proposals are still indicative at this stage and the site boundaries remain to be confirmed. The local community will be consulted further on the draft proposals, culminating in a public meeting prior to the Happisburgh Parish Council Meeting on 10 January. A planning application will then be submitted for the final proposals as soon as possible in the New Year.
4.3. The proposed location of the beach access ramp is considered to be the most sustainable in terms of exposure to the sea. It also provides direct access to the nicest area of beach; the steps that have been provided to the western beach will remain. This would create the possibility an interesting circular route for people exploring the area. The chosen site not only provides the greatest convenience to beach users, but gives excellent views of Happisburgh Lighthouse and the coastal landscape.
4.4. The chosen site will be temporary as it lies just beyond the first SMP erosion epoch, and the design of the facilities will reflect the fact that they are likely to ‘rollback’ in due course. This location was chosen over sites which might be more sustainable in the long-term on the basis that it was so much more suitable and attractive for the expected users, it has a suitable vehicular access and would have far less impact on existing residents of the area.
5. Car parking revenue
5.1. The existing car park is approximately 0.22 hectares and accommodates between
40 – 50 cars, although it is a somewhat irregular shape and the spaces are not marked out. The road network to it is not well suited to access by coaches. The car park is poorly maintained and has an uneven surface. It is difficult to gain an

Cabinet 10 January 2011 accurate picture of the potential income from the new car park by comparison with the existing for various reasons: a) Records of past revenue from Happisburgh Beach Road Car Park are patchy, because at various times the pay-and-display machine was stolen and vandalised, leading ultimately to its removal in 2007/8. b) It could be argued that visitor numbers were low, compared with other coastal villages, because of the poor state of the local environment, the minimal facilities and the relatively poor access to the beach. c) The environmental improvements and the new beach access, planned from the
Pathfinder programme, will make the village more attractive to visitors, increasing the car park usage and the duration of people’s stay.
5.2. Estimates of the potential revenue from the car park can be informed by information gathered from extrapolating past revenue in line with car parks elsewhere in comparable locations. The following table provides an indication of seasonal revenue at the beach car parks at Overstrand (approximately 0.35 ha - unmarked), Weybourne
(approximately 0.34 ha – unmarked) and East Runton (approximately winter 0.095ha and summer 0.42ha - unmarked).
5.3. Table – Car Park Income 2009-10
Car park Annual revenue 09/10
Overstrand 25,889.05
Weybourne 17,842.12
East Runton 16,099
5.4. Based on the information available it is reasonable to consider that a new car park of approximately 0.21ha at Happisburgh with the cliff top and environmental improvements should generate approximately £12,000 per annum. This figure has been used in section 7 of this report to estimate ongoing management costs.
6. Ownership, management and maintenance of the facilities
6.1. A key decision will be the arrangement for the future ownership, management and maintenance of the facilities that are created through this project. It is hoped that there will be sufficient revenue generation from the car park to fund the ongoing costs; however, further work needs to be done in order to develop a business case for this. Once the business case has been completed, various options can be evaluated; including developing the capacity of Happisburgh Parish Council to manage the facility and/or attracting interest from a third party voluntary or other organisation, as an alternative to NNDC managing them.
6.2. The RNLI is keen to explore opportunities as its volunteers shop on the cliff top is vulnerable to erosion loss and may lose passing custom once the car park moves.

Cabinet 10 January 2011
This, however, is unlikely to generate revenue as it is expected to replace one that is threatened by erosion (and consequently may entail only peppercorn rent) but it may improve security on the site. Happisburgh Coast Watch has also expressed an interest in relocating their lookout facility to a site in this vicinity, which would provide a presence 365 day of the year.
6.3. Once completed, the beach access ramp will be maintained in the future from
NNDC’s Coast Protection Budget, as this will become useful infrastructure for defence maintenance.
6.4. Investigations will be undertaken into how the Pathfinder can fund the on-going management of the areas of public open space, perhaps by payment of commuted sums from a specific fund.
6.5. Support is being provided to Happisburgh Parish Council, to help develop the business case and consequently to it to decide whether or not it wishes to take on the future ownership and or management of the car park and toilets.
7. Budget and financial management
7.1. The Project has a budget of £290,000 of which £215,000 is capital and £75,000 is revenue. It is expected that the whole life costs can be met from Pathfinder funds and car park income.
7.2. The land purchases total £23,000 with negotiation and legal fees of approximately
£2,700. The estimated cost of capital works for installing the car park and beach access as outlined in the site layout plan in Appendix C is £50,000. Further costs of between £20-50,000 for the installation of lavatories and a car park ticket machine have been estimated. Landscaping and provision of picnic benches will be approximately £8,000. There are further capital costs required for the removal of telegraph poles (£5,000) and the provision and connection of services (estimate of £5,000). Design, planning application and tender preparation fees should not exceed £8,000. In total the capital element for the project is estimated to be between £121,700 and £151,700, dependent on the type and style of public lavatories chosen. These costs are obviously well below the budget allocation; however, further monies will be needed to restore the area occupied by the existing car park and the sites which are to be cleared once properties are demolished, also to create areas of open space and footpaths.
7.3. In considering the costs of ongoing maintenance and management of the facilities created, it must be borne in mind that this is a replacement of facilities that have been run down over many years, due in part to the threat of loss, which at present expose the Council to considerable liabilities, reputational risks and other miscellaneous costs.
7.4. Outlined below is the breakdown of the indicative revenue costs for the preferred scheme. Many possible variations exist and the ultimate cost (or profit) to NNDC will depend upon the future ownership, management and maintenance of the car park, toilets and other facilities. Following further work with the Parish Council the final option will be developed and if required the level of facilities provided could be amended.

Cabinet 10 January 2011
7.5. Within the table two cost options for toilet cleaning and maintenance are shown to indicate a worst and best case scenario. Cleaning of public toilets in the new
NNDC contract is on average approximately £5000, there will also be in addition to this some ongoing maintenance. Therefore it is logical that the actual figure will be greater than £5000, but is unlikely to be near the worst case of £10,000.
7.6. Figures shown are based on information from NNDC service teams to indicate the likely costs incurred were NNDC to manage the facilities. It should be noted that the Parish Council, dependent on their preferred management model may incur reduced management costs due to voluntary assistance and lower overheads.
The costs would obviously vary depending on the final design and materials used for the lavatories and car park.

Cabinet 10 January 2011
Management Task Unit cost Annual Total Frequency per year
Area
16 300 0.02/m2/occasion 96 Amenity Grass Cut
Semi natural meadow cut
Empty dog bin
Empty litter bin
Annual landscaping management
Annual maintenance of car park surfaces
52
52
-
-
As required -
294/year
358/year
£1000 (estimate)
294
358
Maintenance of beach access ramp
As required -
Car park ticket machine service and maintenance
Weekly -
Other misc. charges
Cleaning and maintenance of public lavatories
-
Varying frequency dependent on season.
-
-
-
2500
1000
Likely to be absorbed in Coastal
Management Budget
Absorbed into coastal management budget
2500
1000
Worst case
Best case
1000
10,000 5000
10,000 5000
Annual total costs
Estimated car park income (ex. VAT)
Annual balance
Number of years
Total variance at today’s values to be submitted at a commuted sum.
+15,808 +10,808
+3,808 -1,192
20
+76,160 -23,840
Note: These figures are based on present day values and do not take into account inflation etc. on future costs and revenue. The figures make an assumption of a relatively low car park income.

Cabinet 10 January 2011
The management model and the popularity of the facilities will dictate the profitability of the asset at the end of the day but it is reasonable to assume that the revenue will break even.
The Coastal Management Team in finalising the detail of the scheme will seek to minimise any revenue costs whilst recognising any community needs or concerns.
8.1. To enable the scheme to move forward it is necessary to purchase two parcels of land as detailed in Appendix D. The final detail of precise boundaries will be clarified during the conveyance. The total cost of the two parcels of land is
£23,000.
8.2. The land is not only necessary to locate the facilities outlined but is required by
Pathfinder to gain access to the beach for the removal of beach debris and to undertake beach maintenance.
8.3. The existing car park will be reinstated as open grassland and suitably landscaped to prevent access by vehicles etc.
9. Risks a) This is a high profile project and not proceeding will significantly damage the reputation of the Council. b) Without completing land purchases for the relocation of the facilities the Pathfinder aims and objects are very difficult to achieve. c) Without authority to proceed the timescales for implementation of other Pathfinder projects (specifically the beach debris removal) at Happisburgh will be affected. d) On completing a business plan the Parish Council may decide not to take on the management of the car park. If this is the case it is assumed NNDC would take on the management of the facilities. There is a small risk that this could give rise to small annual revenue costs (there is also the possibility of receiving a profit). A revenue contingency fund from the pathfinder budget could be set up to cover this eventuality. e) The exact lifespan of the proposed relocated car park is unknown; it lies partially within the 2025 erosion epoch.
10. Sustainability
10.1. The whole concept of the Pathfinder programme is to work towards sustainable management of our coast. This project seeks to replace lost or threatened Council and community assets through the use of Pathfinder funds; this will secure them for the future. It is anticipated that the income generated from the car park will cover most, if not all the costs associated with management.
Should the Parish Council be willing to take on the management there will be minimal ongoing costs to the Council and the community will benefit directly from any profit received.
11. Equality and Diversity
11.1. The car park will be designed with the required disabled car parking bays and access to the facilities. It will not however be possible to provide a high grade of surface on the beach access ramp due to its temporary nature, exposed coastal location and the need to roll it back as the coast erodes.
12. Crime and Disorder
12.1. Historically there were crime/disorder issues with the old car park. With the involvement of the community in managing the facilities and the possibility of

Cabinet 10 January 2011 incorporating staffed buildings (kiosk/ possible relocation of the Coast Watch lookout) an increased presence should reduce the risk of facility misuse.
13. Recommendation a) That Cabinet gives approval to proceed with the proposed scheme for the development of a replacement car park, new public lavatories, new beach access ramp, public open space and environmental enhancements. b) Cabinet resolves that the land purchases proceed (subject to planning consent) for the land identified in this report under the scheme of delegation.
14. Conclusion
14.1. The progress of Pathfinder projects in Happisburgh are interlinked and in order to enable them to proceed, Cabinet is requested to agree the purchase of land with a value of £23,000 as detailed in this report. The land purchases will enable the replacement of infrastructure which has been lost or has been affected by coastal blight and will form part of the package of measures to enable the community of Happisburgh to regenerate. It is anticipated that the new facilities will be managed by Happisburgh Parish Council into the future. Should this not be the case management would fall to NNDC to be delivered directly or through another community partner.