Economic and Social development
There are many ways in which our coastline affects the economy and society of Hampshire, for example within:
Through its policies of acquisition and sustainable management of the natural environment and historic sites, the County Council offers a range of visitor attractions.
Tourism contributes substantially to the local economy in terms of employment and economic benefit; visitors also help to sustain facilities and services used by the local population. The County Council has a role in managing tourism impacts, so that the natural environment can be appreciated without damaging the very assets that visitors come to see.
Getting around - Coastal Transport
The County gives strong support to public transport services in Hampshire, including financial support for some local ferries; this support, either as a one-off or continued subsidisation, has been vital in saving ferry services which offer not only a recreational service but a sustainable method of transportation.
The County Council manages several farms around Hampshire, as part of the County Farms Estate. The most important part of the County Farms Estate on the coast is the farmland at Brownwich and Chilling, between the Hamble and Meon rivers. This forms a major part of one of the largest blocks of undeveloped land on the coast of South Hampshire, and its survival in a sub-region of intense development owes much to the County Council’s enlightened policies of land acquisition and management.
The farmland at Brownwich and Chilling comprises more than 400 hectares (1000 acres) of mainly arable land, cereals and horticultural crops, behind nearly 1.5 miles of low sandy cliffs. Here, productive farming and wildlife conservation can be seen working side by side. Access has also been improved by the provision of new car parks, footpaths and bridleways. In the past 20 years many thousands of native trees and shrubs have been planted to provide shelter and create new wildlife habitats.