recreational patterns of visitors to the fal and helford sac · using previous reports on pressures...
TRANSCRIPT
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Fal and Helford SAC
Patterns of Recreational Use
Results from the visitor surveys carried out throughout 2017 and additional
analysis on impact of activities.
January 2018
View of St Mawes by Tim Green (CC BY 2.0)
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Contents
1 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 5
2 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 6
2.1 Survey Methodological Considerations ..................................................................... 6
2.2 Data Processing, manipulation and limitations ......................................................... 6
2.3 Data Collection & Survey Effort ................................................................................. 7
3 Overview ............................................................................................................................ 8
3.1 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Visit Purpose ............................................................................................................ 12
3.3 Visit duration and frequency ................................................................................... 14
3.4 Seasonality ............................................................................................................... 15
3.5 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 16
3.6 Transport ................................................................................................................. 17
3.7 Response to speculative change and other destinations ........................................ 19
4 Falmouth Water Sports ................................................................................................... 19
4.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 20
4.2 Visitor Activities ....................................................................................................... 20
4.3 Visit Frequency ........................................................................................................ 24
4.4 Visit Duration ........................................................................................................... 25
4.5 Seasonality ............................................................................................................... 26
4.6 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 26
4.7 Response to speculative change ............................................................................. 28
4.8 Features attracting visitors to other sites ............................................................... 28
4.9 Other visit destinations ........................................................................................... 30
4.10 Transport ................................................................................................................. 31
5 Malpas ............................................................................................................................. 32
5.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 32
5.2 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 33
5.3 Visit Frequency ........................................................................................................ 36
5.4 Visit Duration ........................................................................................................... 38
5.5 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 38
5.6 Response to Speculative Change ............................................................................. 39
5.7 Features attracting visitors to other sites ............................................................... 40
5.8 Other Destinations .................................................................................................. 40
5.9 Transport ................................................................................................................. 41
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6 St Mawes ......................................................................................................................... 42
6.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 43
6.2 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 43
6.3 Visit Frequency ........................................................................................................ 46
6.4 Visit Duration ........................................................................................................... 47
6.5 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 48
6.6 Response to Speculative Change ............................................................................. 49
6.7 Features attracting visitors to other sites ............................................................... 50
6.8 Other Destinations .................................................................................................. 50
6.9 Transport ................................................................................................................. 53
7 Mylor ............................................................................................................................... 54
7.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 54
7.2 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 55
7.3 Visit Frequency ........................................................................................................ 58
7.4 Visit Duration ........................................................................................................... 59
7.5 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 60
7.6 Response to Speculative Change ............................................................................. 60
7.7 Features attracting visitors to other sites ............................................................... 61
7.8 Other Destinations .................................................................................................. 62
7.9 Transport ................................................................................................................. 64
8 Helford Passage ............................................................................................................... 65
8.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 65
8.2 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 66
8.3 Visit Frequency ........................................................................................................ 69
8.4 Visit Duration ........................................................................................................... 70
8.5 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 71
8.6 Response to Speculative Change ............................................................................. 72
8.7 Features attracting visitors to other sites ............................................................... 72
8.8 Other Destinations .................................................................................................. 73
8.9 Transport ................................................................................................................. 75
9 Durgan ............................................................................................................................. 76
9.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 76
9.2 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 77
9.3 Visit Frequency ........................................................................................................ 79
9.4 Visit Duration ........................................................................................................... 80
9.5 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 80
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9.6 Response to Speculative Change ............................................................................. 82
9.7 Features attracting Visitors to other sites ............................................................... 83
9.8 Other Destinations .................................................................................................. 84
9.9 Transport ................................................................................................................. 85
10 Pandora ....................................................................................................................... 86
10.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 87
10.2 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 87
10.3 Visit Frequency ........................................................................................................ 90
10.4 Visit Duration ........................................................................................................... 91
10.5 Reasons for site choice ............................................................................................ 92
10.6 Response to Speculative Change ............................................................................. 93
10.7 Features attracting visitors to other sites ............................................................... 93
10.8 Other Destinations .................................................................................................. 95
10.9 Transport ................................................................................................................. 96
11 Loe Beach .................................................................................................................... 96
11.1 Visitor Purpose ........................................................................................................ 97
11.2 Visitor Activity.......................................................................................................... 97
11.3 Visit Frequency ...................................................................................................... 100
11.4 Visit Duration ......................................................................................................... 101
11.5 Reasons for site choice .......................................................................................... 102
11.6 Response to Speculative Change ........................................................................... 103
11.7 Features attracting visitors to other Sites ............................................................. 103
11.8 Other Destinations ................................................................................................ 104
11.9 Transport ............................................................................................................... 105
12 Visitor Catchments .................................................................................................... 106
12.1 Methodological Considerations............................................................................. 106
12.2 Visit Distance of Local and Non-local Visitors ....................................................... 107
12.3 Distance versus visit frequency ............................................................................. 107
13 Additional Reporting – Impact of Visitors and Determination of Visitor Catchments
and Zone of Influence. ........................................................................................................... 110
13.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 110
13.2 Description of the Fal & Helford SAC..................................................................... 111
13.3 Recreational activities in the SAC .......................................................................... 113
13.4 Potential recreational impacts on SAC features .................................................... 114
13.4.1 Risk of pressures associated with recreational activities .............................. 114
13.4.2 Interactions of recreational activities with SAC sub-features ....................... 115
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13.4.3 Intensity of recreational activities ................................................................. 116
13.5 Ranking system ...................................................................................................... 125
13.6 Visitor Catchments and Zone of Influence Suggestions ........................................ 126
13.6.1 Methodological Considerations ..................................................................... 126
13.6.2 Catchment of all visitors ................................................................................ 128
13.6.3 Catchment of Local Visitors only ................................................................... 130
13.6.4 Catchment of visitors with the highest frequency of visits ........................... 130
13.6.5 Catchment of Visitors engaging in at least one High-risk activity as main
activity 132
13.6.6 Overview of visitor catchments and options for Zone of Influence .............. 135
14 References ................................................................................................................. 138
15 Appendix .................................................................................................................... 139
15.1 Sensitivity Assessments (Natural England, 2017) .................................................. 139
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1 SUMMARY
This document reports the analyses and findings from the visitor survey work undertaken at
the Fal and Helford SAC between Winter 2017 and Autumn 2017. Current visitor patterns
(both terrestrial and water users) are examined and a Zone of Influence of the SAC identified.
The report focuses on the impact of recreational activities on the SAC, other pressures such
as agriculture also influence the protected features of the site are not addressed albeit their
impact may be significant.
The results of the surveys show that the area is under most pressure from visits in the Summer,
with similar levels of activity in Autumn and Spring. Visitors are mainly local to Cornwall (appr.
60%), with highest numbers of visitors from further afield arriving in Summer. Very low
numbers of visitors are generally reported in Winter. Number of visitors also varies between
sites. Based on the number of people interviewed (i.e. the total number of people partaking
in surveys, rather than the number of surveys), the site visited most (St Mawes, 647 people)
receives double the number of visitors of the site visited least (Malpas, 316).
Overall, terrestrial activities are the most common activities undertaken, however this varies
across sites, with certain sites being preferred for water-based activities. The most popular
marine activities were canoeing/kayaking, motor yachting and sailing yachting, which is
reflected in the tallies. The tallies also show a high number of paddleboarders and swimmers,
which are not identified in the questionnaires.
Visit intensity in terms of frequency and duration varies across sites. Patterns of local and non-
local visitors vary, with non-locals being more likely to visit less frequently. Visit duration varies
more between sites than it seems to vary between local/non-local visitors, most likely
connected to preferred activities.
For almost all sites, transport by car is the most common way to get to the site, with some
sites having higher levels of users arriving by water. Locals are slightly more likely to arrive by
car, and non-local visitors by water.
The scenery is what attracts most people (this is especially true for visitors from outside the
county), but particular activities undertaken, and the infrastructure associated with them
(launching facilities) are also important (often more so for local users).
Speculative changes are generally met with neutral attitudes, with certain changes being more
likely to elicit negative responses, such as sites being busier or receiving increased charges.
Various options are explored to estimate a Zone of Influence based on a visitor catchment.
Using previous reports on pressures of recreational activities on the SAC, the impact onf the
surveyed activities on the protected features can be seen to be mainly due to motorised water
sports, although other activities such as fishing also have an impact. Focusing on activities that
are identified as posing a high-risk to vulnerable features of the SAC, a travel distance of 13.1
km for 75% of visitors engaging in High-risk activities is identified. Using the same method
employed in previous reports on other protected sites in Cornwall, a catchment of local
visitors would result in a buffer of 13.35km. Due to the similarity of different catchments and
the high visitor numbers that – with an increase in housing and population growth in the
future – may result in high pressure even from currently low risk activities, a uniform buffer
around the SAC boundary of 13.45 – based on all visitors to the SAC – is recommended.
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2 METHODS
2.1 SURVEY METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS Resourcing the initial surveys within a two-week window was challenging. The surveys
gathered an extensive and comprehensive data set on visitor patterns, there were some
limitations to the data collected due to the limited time to source and train surveyors to
ensure surveys were conducted in a consistent manner.
Surveyors were given an induction and provided with a guidance sheet along with their survey
pack to ensure consistency in approach as far as possible. Due to the large number of
surveyors for each of the months some inconsistencies in the survey data became apparent
in the data analysis / screening exercise. Surveyors were instructed not to interview people
twice to avoid false duplicates, and instead these were recorded on the tally sheets.
Additionally, surveyors were told to focus on water users if possible, to ensure a
comprehensive understanding of this particular visitor group. Apart from this focus, surveyors
were instructed to sample interviewees at random.
It became clear in the process of data input and analysis that despite best efforts some
inconsistencies were present in how surveys had been conducted. This was corrected as far
as possible so not to skew the analysis.
Tallies were completed throughout the survey shift. Surveyors were asked to tally the activity
occurring around them whenever they were not completing a survey. The tally therefore
provides an indication and not an accurate estimate of total visitor numbers, as surveyors
would have been unable to keep an accurate tally especially at the busier sites.
Additionally, a literature review of the ecological impact of each activity surveyed on the
protected features of the SAC was undertaken to allow a more tailored approach to identifying
the potential zones of impact.
2.2 DATA PROCESSING, MANIPULATION AND LIMITATIONS Visitor survey data were supplied in raw format by each surveyor.
At the end of each survey, this data was digitised into one excel file per survey season.
The data from all 1437 surveys completed was briefly screened ahead of analyses and cleaned.
Data screening comprised of the following checks and where anomalies were found, were
amended:
• For groups accompanied by dogs but not stating “dog walking” as an activity, dog walking was checked.
• For groups stating dog walking but no dogs were recorded, number of dogs was corrected to 1.
• For groups stating to be “living in Cornwall” but recording a postcode outside of the county, the visit purpose was amended to “Living outside of Cornwall, on holiday”.
• For groups stating to be “living outside of Cornwall” but recording a postcode in the county and comments suggested they were local residents, visit purpose was
amended to reflect this.
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• For people stating they were “staying on boats”, accommodation postcode was changed to the postcode local to the site.
• Names of other visit locations were amended as best as possible where spelling was incorrect. Names that could not be identified were excluded from analysis.
• Postcodes were added where only a town or area were given to the center of the area. • Where number of people was left empty, it was populated with 1.
2.3 DATA COLLECTION & SURVEY EFFORT The visitor surveys were conducted at 8 different slipway sites around the Fal and Helford SAC:
• Helford (SW 76338 26922) • Durgan(SW 77291 27257) • Pandora Inn (SW 81403 37253) • St Mawes (SW 84769 33074) • Falmouth Watersports Centre (SW 81195 32458) • Mylor Harbour (SW 82030 35337) • Loe Beach (SW 82538 38111) • Malpas (SW 83776 43233)
The surveys were scheduled to take place at each survey location over a full weekday (07.00-
20.00) and weekend day (07.00-20.00) across four seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer and
Autumn). The survey days were split into shifts, these were between the times of 07.00 –
13.30 and 13.30 – 20.00. Depending on the surveyor’s availability the shifts were conducted
on the same day or split across two days.
Surveys in Winter were conducted by Cornwall Council, and different survey times were
agreed due to the constraints in daylight and low use of the sites during this season. Pandora
Inn and Durgan sites were not surveyed in Winter.
A team of 16 surveyors were trained to conduct the Spring, Autumn and Summer surveys.
Everyone received an induction on how to complete the surveys and the area to survey. Health
and Safety was also covered in the induction. Where available, and for consistency effort was
made to field the same team of surveyors though as this was piecemeal work new surveyors
were needed to complete the surveys within the allotted window.
Surveys (where possible) were conducted on days with relatively good weather. However, this
was mainly dependent on surveyor’s availability and the accuracy of the weather forecast.
Some months had worse weather than others. September for example, rained heavily most
days and therefore resulted in significantly less surveys being completed due to visitor
numbers and willingness to take part in surveys. Although there are some inconsistencies in
the survey data it does provide an extensive and comprehensive data set on visitor patterns
and activities across the Fal and Helford Estuary.
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3 OVERVIEW
There were some inconsistencies in the survey effort between seasons and survey locations
that should be considered when interpreting the data. No surveys were carried out for
Pandora Inn and Durgan in Winter, and survey times during Winter are shorter than in other
seasons. Survey times for Malpas are also different to other sites due to the limited
accessibility of the site at high tide.
Overall, 1437 questionnaires were completed in 4 seasons of surveying. In total, 2060 groups
were approached, with 327 refusing an interview and 302 indicating they had already
completed an interview. Acceptance rate is therefore at 69%, if refusals and repeat
approaches are both counted towards the total.
A total of 3913 people took part in the interviews, making the average group size 2.7. On
average every fourth visitor group was accompanied by a dog, 394 dogs were part of the
interviewed groups.
871 questionnaires were completed by local visitors, with a total of 2292 people (average
group size of 2.6) with 225 dogs, which makes it on average one dog for every four local visitor
groups.
566 questionnaires were completed by non-local visitors, covering 1621 people and 169 dogs.
This means an average of 2.8 people per group, and one dog for every third visitor group.
Table 1 shows an overview of the survey effort across the year.
The lowest average group size overall was recorded in Autumn (2.6), and the highest average
of dogs per group in Winter and Autumn (34% and 37% respectively).
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Table 3-1 Overview of visitors interviewed and survey efforts throughout the year in the SAC.
Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total
People 162 1152 1656 943 3913
Dogs 19 68 171 136 394
Questionnaires completed 56 413 605 363 1437
The information from the tallies supplements that gained through interviews. However, the
main focus of the surveyors was on completing the face to face surveys, so tallies will not be
consistent between different sites and surveyors.
Where possible, tallies have been cleaned to reflect survey effort correctly. A total of 3488
individuals were recorded on the 8 sites, and 1334 groups, with 1047 dogs. There are
differences in seasonality as well as location, which are discussed in more detail in the site-
specific analysis. Overall, by far the least visitors were recorded in Winter, and most in
Summer (both groups and individuals), as shown in Figure 4-1.
Figure 3-1 Seasonal pattern of visits as recorded in tallies.
Table 2 shows the summarised records for all sites across the seasons as noted in the tallies.
This data shows the number of individuals recorded entering the site, number of dogs and
number of groups recorded. It also shows the number of questionnaires completed alongside
the refusals and numbers already interviewed. Most sites have similar levels of refusals and
numbers already interviewed, with the latter being a good indicator that visits are captured
comprehensively.
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Winter Spring Summer Autumn
Tota
l no
ind
ivid
ual
s
Nu
mb
er o
f re
cord
s
Season
Total Individuals Total Group Total Dogs
Total Questionnaires Total Refusals Total Already Interviewed
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Table 3-2 Overview of tally results on all sites.
Tally Results Season Grand Total
Winter Spring Summer AutumnDurgan
Individuals No
t surve
yed
180 231 66 477 Group 53 39 128 220 Dogs 23 37 43 103
Questionnaires 65 60 30 155 Refusals 18 14 2 34
Already Interviewed 22 15 1 38 Falmouth
Individuals 2 66 100 76 244 Group 3 15 43 36 97 Dogs 2 2 14 14 32
Questionnaires 1 46 61 50 158 Refusals 0 10 10 9 29
Already Interviewed 0 18 35 8 61 Helford
Individuals 12 47 141 65 265 Group 10 30 83 63 186 Dogs 9 17 22 40 88
Questionnaires 8 71 65 29 173 Refusals 2 4 12 6 24
Already Interviewed 0 5 23 3 31 Loe Beach
Individuals 21 48 122 39 230 Group 6 31 65 53 155 Dogs 15 25 61 46 147
Questionnaires 17 25 83 36 161 Refusals 1 12 7 4 24
Already Interviewed 0 1 5 18 24 Malpas
Individuals 0 142 250 244 636 Group 0 22 35 27 84 Dogs 0 43 53 79 175
Questionnaires 0 39 98 61 198 Refusals 0 15 29 10 54
Already Interviewed 0 9 14 28 51 Mylor
Individuals 47 181 307 158 693 Group 103 39 70 71 283 Dogs 39 35 55 34 163
Questionnaires 25 52 89 57 223 Refusals 21 17 24 4 66
Already Interviewed 34 0 5 17 56 Pandora
Individuals No
t surve
yed
153 69 76 298 Group 44 37 40 121 Dogs 55 25 40 120
Questionnaires 43 48 55 146 Refusals 12 10 6 28
Already Interviewed 7 8 11 26
St.Mawes Individuals 0 173 299 173 645
Group 0 26 147 15 188 Dogs 0 51 108 60 219
Questionnaires 0 63 96 58 217 Refusals 0 11 45 12 68
Already Interviewed 0 0 5 10 15
Total Individuals 82 990 1519 897 3488Total Group 122 260 519 433 1334 Total Dogs 65 251 375 356 1047
Total Questionnaires 51 404 600 376 1431 Total Refusals 24 99 151 53 327
Total Already Interviewed 34 62 110 96 302
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3.1 VISITOR ACTIVITY
Figure 3-2 Total activities (primary and secondary combined) and main activities for all visitors and all seasons.
2756 responses were given overall on main and secondary activities.
Walking is the most frequently cited activity (23% of main activities, 18% of total activity
responses). In Figure 3-2, activities are split into main activities (i.e. the activities undertaken
on the day of the interview) and total activities (i.e. including other activities that the site is
visited for by the interviewee).
Dog walking is the second most popular activity (12%), and the most frequently cited one in
Winter (35%). These two terrestrial activities make up just over a third of all main activities,
followed by aquatic activities – canoeing, sailing, and motor yacht – making up 40% in total.
Overall, marine activities make up 54% of all main activities and 62% of total responses, with
172 respondents indicating canoeing as their main activity, 87 occurring in Summer. 143
respondents give “motor yacht” as their main activity, 56 during Summer.
There are seasonal variations in when activities are recorded. Spring and Summer tend to be
the most popular months for most activities, with some exceptions (see Figure 3-3). Walking
is the most common (i.e. highest proportion of responses) activity in Spring (29% of main
activities) and Dog Walking in Winter (34%).
Sailing yachts and small sailing crafts are most popular in Spring and Summer. Most
canoeists/kayakers visit in Summer or Autumn, as is the case for motor yachts.
0
100
200
300
400
500
Main Total
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Figure 3-3 Seasonal distribution of visitors citing each given activity as main activity. The vertical axis shows proportion of activity per season, and numbers given in each bar are the actual number of visitors for the given activity.
On almost all sites, the most popular 3 to 4 activities make up over 50% of all main activities
– the only exception being Malpas, where walking makes up 51%. At all sites a mix of terrestrial
and marine activities make up 50% of all main activities, apart from Mylor where sailing yacht,
motor yacht and canoeing are more frequent.
3.2 VISIT PURPOSE To fully understand the recreational use of the site, it is important to consider the origin and
nature of visitor groups as well as any patterns in seasonality. Specific site attractions can vary
widely by season due to many factors, such as parking, Summer dog restrictions, daylight
hours and weather. As Cornwall attracts a high number of visitors from outside the county,
the visitor patterns of local and non-local visitors are explored to identify any differences in
the visitor behaviour between these two groups.
131 7
1
3 2 3 2 1
5
93
35
0
1
0
40 1261
37 12 6 1
0
3865
256
0
5
5
6
5
6
12
567
0
1
1
62137
2 87
37
2
3
0
56
64
79 16
0
1
8
29
6
9
3
369
1
2
1481
245
6
16
4630 18 5 7 2
9
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Bir
dw
atch
ing/
wild
life
wat
chin
g
Cyc
ling
Do
g w
alki
ng
Ho
rse
rid
ing
Jogg
ing/
po
wer
wal
kin
g/N
ord
ic w
alki
ng
Kit
e Fl
yin
g
Ou
tin
g w
ith
ch
ildre
n/f
amily
Wal
kin
g
Bai
t d
iggi
ng/
cock
ling/
crab
tili
ng
Can
oe
ing/
kaya
kin
g
Fish
ing
- A
ngl
ing
Fish
ing
- Sp
ear
Fish
ing
Jet
ski
Kit
e su
rfin
g
Mo
tor
Yach
t
Saili
ng
Yach
t
Smal
l sai
ling
craf
t (D
ingy
/ et
c)
Stan
d u
p p
add
le b
oar
d
Surf
ing
Win
dsu
rfin
g
Sub
Aq
ua
div
ing
Swim
min
g
Ro
ckp
oo
ling
Gig
ro
win
g
January May July September
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Table 3-3 Origin of visitors to the SAC across the seasons. Percentages are calculated for each season and as a percentage of all visitors.
Winter Spring Summer Autumn Grand Total
total % total % total % total % total %
Living in Cornwall on a day trip
or short visit 40 73 244 63 323 58 235 65 842 62
Living outside of Cornwall on
holiday in the area 2 04 125 32 216 39 119 33 462 34
Living in Cornwall Visiting as
part of an organised activity on
the site
9 16 13 03 16 03 3 01 41 03
Living outside Cornwall visiting
as part of an organised activity
on the site
4 07 7 02 3 01 2 01 16 01
The highest number of visitors from outside the county overall occur in Summer (40% of all
visitors). The lowest number of non-local visitors is recorded in Winter (11%). Seasonal
patterns at each site are detailed in the following chapters, but an overview is given in the
next graph.
Figure 3-4 Proportion of visit purpose on each site of the SAC.
Certain sites have much smaller numbers of non-local visitors than average (see Figure 3-4).
Falmouth, Malpas, Mylor, Pandora Inn and Loe Beach were visited by less than 30% of visitors
from outside Cornwall. St Mawes was visited by the highest number of non-local visitors
(74%).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Durgan FalmouthHelfordPassage
Loe Beach Malpas Mylor Pandora St Mawes
Living outside of Cornwall on holiday in the area 56 15 47 20 6 21 30 74
Living outside Cornwall visiting as part of anorganised activity on the site
1 1 2 1 1 3 1 0
Living in Cornwall Visiting as part of an organisedactivity on the site
0 7 7 3 2 3 3 1
Living in Cornwall on a day trip or short visit 44 77 45 76 92 73 67 24
Dis
trib
uti
on
of
visi
tor
ori
gin
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First-time visits make up approximately half of the non-local visits (43%), and 7% of local visits,
which is also important to consider in understanding the visitor patterns and the robustness
of data analysed in detail on differences between those two visitor groups.
3.3 VISIT DURATION AND FREQUENCY Visitors to the sites were asked about the duration of their visit on the day, and the frequency
of their visits in the last year. Figure 4-5 shows the responses for each category on each of the
sites. It is obvious that there are some clear differences between sites, with Helford Passage,
Mylor and St Mawes having much higher levels of people staying for more than 3 hours, while
Malpas has most visitors staying for less than one hour.
Figure 3-5 Overall visit duration for all sites.
When plotting visit duration versus visit frequency, different patterns for local and non-local
visitors become apparent. In both of the below Figures (Figure 3-6 and 3-7), total number of
responses in each category is plotted, omitting first-time visitors and “N/A”. As already
mentioned, first-time visits make up approximately half of the non-local visits (43%), and 7%
of local visits.
Local visitor frequency is fairly even, with most answers (51%) being in the categories between
20-180 visits per year or 2-12 visits (25%), and visit duration being distributed evenly across
all categories. It is notable that the most frequent visitors are also the ones spending longest
at the site, and visit duration decreases disproportionately with a decrease of frequency.
For non-local visitors, 2-12 visits per year is by far the most popular category (39%). Most
visitors spend more than 3 hours on a site (42% overall), and distribution of visit duration is
broadly even across all categories.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Durgan FalmouthWatersports
HelfordPassage
Loe Beach Malpas Mylor Pandora St Mawes
Nu
mb
er o
f re
spo
nse
s
Sum of Less than 1 hour Sum of 1-2 hours Sum of 2-3 hours Sum of More than 3 hours
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3.4 SEASONALITY Visitors were asked to indicate which time of the year they preferred to visit the site for main
and secondary activities. While Summer is overall the most popular time to visit – this is both
indicated in the interviews by responses given as well as by the number of surveys collected
(see above) – there are differences between sites.
Table 3-4 Total numbers for seasonal preference for the main activity undertaken on all sites.
(main activ.) Durgan Falmouth Helford Loe
Beach
Malpas Mylor Pandora
Inn
St
Mawes
Grand
Total
Spring 19 41 24 31 21 57 17 32 242
Summer 39 92 56 65 41 101 37 84 515
Autumn 15 41 21 20 13 37 13 26 186
Winter 2 3 5 5 3 14 3 8 43
All year 48 47 57 64 124 94 57 56 547
Across all visits, broadly similar patterns emerge with all sites visited most during the Summer
and least during the Winter, with Spring and Autumn numbers being fairly comparable, if a
little higher in Spring. However, seasonal preferences of local and non-local visitors are quite
different. These differences are especially apparent in Malpas, Helford, St Mawes and
Falmouth (see Figure 3-8).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Mostdays
(>180visits)
A fewtimes aweek
(60-180visits)
Severaltimes amonth(20-60visits)
Aboutonce amonth(12-20visits)
Lessthan
once amonth(2-12visits)
Tota
l nu
mb
er r
esp
on
ses
Less than 1 hour 1-2 hours
2-3 hours More than 3 hours
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Mostdays
(>180visits)
A fewtimes aweek
(60-180visits)
Severaltimes amonth(20-60visits)
Aboutonce amonth(12-20visits)
Lessthan
once amonth(2-12visits)
Tota
l nu
mb
er r
esp
on
ses
Less than 1 hour 1-2 hours
2-3 hours More than 3 hours
Figure 3-6 Visit duration of local visitors plotted versus frequency combined for all sites and seasons.
Figure 3-7 Visit duration of non-local visitors plotted versus frequency combined for all sites and seasons.
-
16
Figure 3-8 Local and non-local seasonal preferences for the main activity on each site.
Local visitors state that they visit the same all year a lot more (60%) than non-local visitors
(20%), who visit most in the Summer (43%), compared to 30% of local visitors.
3.5 REASONS FOR SITE CHOICE Visitors were asked to state their reason for choosing to visit each of the 8 sites. Overall, the
most common reason was the attractive scenery, making up 23% of responses, followed by
the vicinity to home (16%) and the activity undertaken (14%). Provision of refreshments and
launching facilities at the site came to 10% each. This is particularly interesting when each site
is considered separately, as it is clearly linked to the different activities undertaken on site –
sites that are more popular for water-users have higher levels of responses referring to
launching facilities and similar than those more popular with terrestrial activities (Table 3-5).
0
50
100
150
Durgan Pandora Malpas Mylor HelfordPassage
Loe Beach St Mawes FalmouthWatersports
No
Res
po
nse
s
Sum of Winter Sum of Spring Sum of Summer Sum of Autumn Sum of Same all year
0
20
40
60
Durgan Pandora Malpas Mylor HelfordPassage
Loe Beach St Mawes FalmouthWatersports
No
Res
po
nse
s
Sum of Winter Sum of Spring Sum of Summer Sum of Autumn Sum of Same all year
-
17
Table 3-5 Combined reasons for site choice for all sites across the SAC.
Overall reasons for site choice Total %
Attractive scenery/views 455 23
Close to home 311 16
Right place for activity (eg kite surfing/fishing/good for kids) 275 14
Refreshments 192 10
Particular launching facilities 192 10
Condition of launching facilities 89 5
Good/easy parking 88 4
Feel safe here 77 4
Suitability given weather conditions 65 3
Ability to let dog off lead 65 3
Toilets 64 3
Don’t know 40 2
Particular wildlife interest 31 2
Others in party chose 25 1
3.6 TRANSPORT There are no distinct differences in the use of different transport modes between local and
non-local visitors, a similar percentage of each group uses the same transport modes on each
site. One notable difference is between the use of waterborne transport, which is used by a
higher percentage of non-local visitors (17%) compared to locals (10%), and cars being used
more by locals (69%) than non-locals (59%). There are also differences between the sites
across the estuary (see Figure 3-8).
-
18
Figure 3-8 Distribution of transport modes for all sites.
Cars are by far the most popular mode of transport on all sites, making up over 60% of arrivals
on all sites. Notable are Mylor and Loe Beach, where cars make up almost or over 90% of all
journeys – most likely due to the site location and accessibility (Table 3-6).
Table 3-6 Mode of transport by visit purpose.
Mode of Transport Local % of local Visitor % of visitor
Tot. Car/motorcycle 590 69 268 59
Total by Water 88 10 77 17
Total Bicycle 14 02 5 01
Total Horse 0 00 0 00
Total Train 1 00 4 01
Total On foot 156 18 89 20
Total Bus 6 01 9 02
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Durgan
Falmouth Watersports
Helford Passage
Loe Beach
Malpas
Mylor
Pandora
St Mawes
DurganFalmouth
WatersportsHelfordPassage
Loe Beach Malpas Mylor Pandora St Mawes
Sum of Car/motorcycle 107 100 81 126 111 199 73 118
Sum of By Water 18 18 38 5 1 6 43 41
Sum of Bicycle 1 2 1 4 5 0 5 2
Sum of Horse 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Train 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 2
Sum of On foot 43 37 36 13 58 17 23 40
Sum of Bus 0 2 2 2 1 1 0 7
Sum of Car/motorcycle Sum of By Water Sum of Bicycle Sum of Horse
Sum of Train Sum of On foot Sum of Bus
-
19
3.7 RESPONSE TO SPECULATIVE CHANGE AND OTHER DESTINATIONS This data was not analysed across all sites as the relevance of a response is linked to the
specific sites where it was collected. Across all sites most respondents stated they would visit
the same amount in response to any change. Certain changes were more likely to have
negative responses, such as the site being busier, and parking charges being increased. While
the provision of dog waste bins was generally seen as positive, respondents were split in their
response to requiring dogs to be on leads.
4 FALMOUTH WATER SPORTS
Falmouth Watersports Centre is located in the centre of the busy town of Falmouth, a popular
location for visitors and locals. The site is publicly accessible and has a slipway, a café and is
home to the sailing and gig club as well as centre for many other water-based activities.
This section provides analysis of the 158 visitor groups interviewed at this site, representing
458 people. Average group size was highest in Spring and lowest in Winter, averaging at 3
people per group over the year, however only one person was interviewed in Winter in total.
75% of interviews were completed in Spring and Summer (Table 4-1).
Throughout the year, 17 dogs were observed as part of questionnaires and 32 recorded on
the tally.
17% of visitors came from outside of Cornwall, with the highest number of non-local visitor
groups (32) in Autumn. In Spring, only 10% of visitors came from outside Cornwall (in 4 groups
interviewed) and therefore it is hard to draw meaningful distinctions between local and non-
local visitor patterns.
Most popular activities were marine, with “Motor Yacht” being the most commonly cited
primary and secondary activity, and “motor boat” being the most observed activity in the
tallies. Both these activities are more likely to be associated with local visitors.
Table 4-1 Overview of results of Falmouth Watersports. Tally and survey data combined.
Falmouth Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total
Individuals 2 66 100 76 244
Group 3 15 43 36 97
No of refusals 0 10 10 9 29
No already interviewed 0 18 35 8 61
Dogs 2 2 14 14 32
Questionnaire Data
Sum of People 1 152 176 129 458
Sum of Dogs 1 1 4 11 17
Count of Surveys 1 46 62 50 159
-
20
4.1 VISITOR PURPOSE 25 (16%) of those interviewed were visitors from outside Cornwall. The highest number of
people interviewed per season were 62 (87% thereof from within Cornwall) in Summer, with
the highest percentage of non-local visitors being interviewed in Autumn (26%).
Only one person was interviewed in Winter, results for this season are not conclusive,
however this demonstrates the very low use of the site during this season (Table 4-2).
Table 4-2 Visit purpose of visitors to Falmouth Watersports by season. Percentages are per season and total.
FALMOUTH – visitor origin
Winter Spring Summer Autumn Grand
Total
tota
l %
tota
l %
Tota
l %
tota
l %
tota
l %
Living in Cornwall on a day trip or
short visit 1 100 37 82 44 75 37 74 119 77
Living outside of Cornwall on holiday
in the area 00 3 07 8 14 13 26 24 15
Living in Cornwall Visiting as part of
an organised activity on the site 00 4 09 7 12 00 11 07
Living outside Cornwall visiting as
part of an organised activity on the
site 00 1 02 00 00 00 1 01
4.2 VISITOR ACTIVITIES Visitors were asked about activities they were carrying out on site at the time of the visit and
also other times throughout the year. A total of 271 responses were given, 14% (38) by non-
local visitors.
Main activities are plotted together with total (i.e. main and secondary activities) independent
of the season, to give an overview of visit intensity per activity (Figure 4-1). Multiple responses
were possible. The main activities were considered independent of season but with a focus
on use by local/non-local visitors (Figure 4-2).
-
21
Figure 4-1 Total and main activities of all visitors to Falmouth.
Figure 4-2 Main activities for local and non-local visitors.
The most popular main activity was connected to motor yachts, with 28% of all responses
citing this as the main activity and making up 19% of all activities in total (i.e. combining main
and secondary activities). Only in Spring is “sailing yacht” a more frequent response (Table 4-
3).
Overall, “motor yacht”, “sailing yacht” and “small sailing craft” combined make up more than
half the main responses and almost half of all responses in total. Summer stands out, with
paddle boarding being the most commonly cited secondary activity (making up 16% of
activities cited in Summer but only 8% overall of all activities), while angling is the most
popular secondary response for all other seasons. Walking is the most popular terrestrial
activity (5% of all responses), most popular in Summer and Autumn (Table 4-4). This pattern
is reflected in the tally sheets.
Differences between local and non-local visitors are mainly notable in the “terrestrial”
category, with non-local visitors citing activities such as “walking” (13% of visitors), “outing
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Total Main Activity
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Local Non-local
-
22
with family and friends” (8%) and “dog walking” (5%) more frequently than locals (see Figure
4-2).
-
23
Table 4-3 All activities by season for Falmouth. Percentages are percentage of season and total.
Falmouth Winter % Spring % Summer % Autumn % Total %
Birdwatching etc 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
Cycling 2 2 2 2 0 0 4 1 8 1
Dog walking 0 0 1 1 2 3 3 1 6 1
Horse riding 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jogging etc 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kite Flying 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Outing with family 6 6 1 1 1 1 8 3 16 3
Walking 2 2 10 8 7 10 19 7 38 7
Bait digging etc 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Canoeing/kayaking 4 4 9 5 6 9 20 7 39 7
Fishing – Angling 14 14 11 6 6 9 31 11 62 11
Fishing - spear fishing 2 2 2 1 2 3 6 2 12 2
Jet ski 0 0 3 2 0 0 3 1 6 1
Kite surfing 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Motor yacht 14 14 19 10 20 29 54 19 107 19
Sailing yacht 21 21 12 7 13 19 46 17 92 17
Small sailing draft 18 18 20 12 5 7 43 16 86 16
Stand up paddle board 4 4 4 2 1 1 9 3 18 3
Surfing 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 1
Windsurfing 2 2 1 1 1 1 4 1 8 1
Sub Aqua diving 3 3 9 5 0 0 12 4 24 4
Swimming 1 1 2 1 2 3 5 2 10 2
Rockpooling 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gig rowing 2 2 3 1 2 3 7 3 14 3
-
24
Table 4-4 Tally results for activities in Falmouth across seasons.
4.3 VISIT FREQUENCY Overall, most people visit a few times a week (27%) to several times a month (21%).
Throughout the seasons, there are differences (see Figure 4-3).
A higher proportion of people cited “most days” in Spring (30%) than in other seasons,
whereas in Autumn, “less than once a month” was the most common response (37%). Autumn
is the only season were less than 45% of groups state they visit at least several times a month
Falmouth Season
Activities (Tally) Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total
Fishing 0 0 2 0 2
Motor boat 4 36 70 29 139
Paddleboarding 0 0 14 0 14
Jet Ski 0 0 4 0 4
Kite surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Sailing boat 3 21 45 10 79
Surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Wind Surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Swimming 0 0 0 0 0
Rockpooling 0 0 0 0 0
Baitdigging 0 0 0 0 0
Gig rowing 4 0 1 20 25
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Winter
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter Spring Summer Autumn
Most days (>180 visits) 8 9 4
A few times a week (60-180 visits) 1 14 21 8
Several times a month (20-60 visits) 15 9 10
About once a month (12-20 visits) 3 4 3
Less than once a month (2-12 visits) 4 11 18
Don’t know 0 0 0
First time 3 8 6
Figure 4-3 Visit frequency of all visitors (local and non-local) over seasons.
-
25
– notably, all responses in these categories are from locals, whereas visitors from outside
Cornwall visit less frequently or have visited for the first time.
46 additional responses were given, however over half of them relate to boat maintenance.
4.4 VISIT DURATION Overall, most visitors stay either less than an hour (37%) or over 3 hours (30%). A higher
percentage of locals stay for longer than 2 hours (61%) than non-local visitors (48%).
Throughout the seasons, it is notable that a higher percentage of all visitors stay for less than
1 hour in Autumn than any other (49%). In Spring, 70% of those staying for less than an hour
conducted boat maintenance or a related activity, however this was not the case during other
seasons (Figure 4-4).
Figure 4-4 Visit duration of local and non-local visitors to the site.
Most local visitors (33%) visit the site a few times a week or several times a month (23%),
while non-local visitors either visited for the first time (41%) or much less frequently (Table 4-
5). Visits occur mostly in the morning, but 30-40% of visits in each season are dependent on
tide times or weather conditions (see Figure 4-5).
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
January (visit)
January (local)
May (visit)
May (local)
July (visit)
July (local)
September (visit)
September (local)
January(visit)
January(local)
May (visit) May (local) July (visit) July (local)September
(visit)September
(local)
Less than 1 hour 1 13 4 16 9 15
1-2 hours 0 7 3 9 4
2-3 hours 1 0 3 9 1 13
More than 3 hours 4 19 3 18 2 5
Less than 1 hour 1-2 hours 2-3 hours More than 3 hours
-
26
Table 4-5 Visit frequency for locals (L) and non-locals (V) by season and percent of total visitors in both categories.
Falmouth Watersports
Winter (V)
Winter (L)
Spring (V)
Spring (L)
Summer (V)
Summer (L)
Autumn (V)
Autumn (L)
Total % (V)
Total % (L)
Sum of Most days (>180 visits)
0 0 0 8 0 9 0 4 0 16
Sum of A few times a week (60-180 visits)
0 1 1 14 0 21 0 8 4 33
Sum of Several times a month (20-60 visits)
0 0 2 13 1 8 0 10 11 23
Sum of About once a month (12-20 visits)
0 0 0 3 0 4 0 3 0 7
Sum of Less than once a month (2-12 visits)
0 0 1 3 4 8 7 11 44 16
Sum of First time 0 0 1 2 5 4 5 1 41 5
Sum of Don’t know
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Figure 4-5 Visit time of day per season.
4.5 SEASONALITY Summer is the most popular time to visit, both for secondary and primary activities, followed
by Autumn and Spring, although approximately a third of respondents state they visit the
same all year round.
4.6 REASONS FOR SITE CHOICE A wide range of reasons is given for the choice of site, with 254 answers given in total. The 4
most commonly cited responses make up three quarters of all answers. They are “particular
launching facilities” (28%), “close to home” (19%), “right place for activity” (16%) and
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
January
May
July
September
January May July September
Before 9am 13 9 3
Between 9am and 12 8 15 13
Between 12 and 3pm 3 1 4
Between 3pm and 5pm 1 1 4
After 5pm 8 7 7
Dependent on tide times 6 12 10
Dependent on weather/sea conditions 7 10 8
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27
“condition of launching facilities” (12%). This relates well to the marked preference for specific
water sports at this site (Table 4-6).
Only in Autumn is there a marked difference between locals and non-locals, with the former
citing “close to home” most often, and the latter “attractive scenery”.
Table 4-6 Reasons for site choice for local and non-local visitors in total and percent.
Falmouth Watersports Local % Non-Local % Tota
l %
Attractive scenery/views 8 4 6 17 14 6
Close to home 46 21 1 3 47 19
Don’t know 0 0 0 0 0 0
Good/easy parking 7 3 0 0 7 3
Right place for activity (eg kite
surfing/fishing/good for kids) 32 15 8 23 40 16
Condition of launching facilities 26 12 4 11 30 12
Others in party chose 1 0 0 0 1 0
Feel safe here 8 4 0 0 8 3
Refreshments 10 5 2 6 12 5
Toilets 8 4 1 3 9 4
Particular wildlife interest 0 0 0 0 0 0
Suitability given weather
conditions 12 6 1 3 13 5
Ability to let dog off lead 0 0 1 3 1 0
Particular launching facilities 60 28 11 31 71 28
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28
4.7 RESPONSE TO SPECULATIVE CHANGE Responses to speculative change were
generally neutral, with 64% of all
answers stating they would visit as
much in response to any of the
proposed changes (Figure 4-6).
For almost every question in every
season, “same” was the most common
response, except for Spring where the
most common response to the
provision of dog waste bins was no
answer.
The most positive responses were given
to the prospect of “dogs required to be
on leads” (10%) and “provision of dog
waste bins” (17%). Slightly more
positive than negative responses were
given to “parts of shore closed in areas
sensitive for wildlife”, “presence of
warden” and “better path surfacing”.
Markedly negative responses indicating
a lower visit likelihood were given for
“increased parking charges” (26%) and “site busier with more people” (19%).
4.8 FEATURES ATTRACTING VISITORS TO OTHER SITES 35% of all visitors (56 responses) state that no features would make another site more
attractive. The most important feature would be “better launching facilities” (23%),
“better/easier parking” (18%) and “cheaper/free parking” (15%). This again corresponds well
with the use of Falmouth Watersports mainly for specific activities (Table 4-7).
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Site is busier with morepeople
Better pathsurfacing/routing
Parking charges orincreased charges
Dogs required to be onleads
Provision of dog waste bins
Presence of warden/beachmanager
Part of shore closed inareas sensitive for wildlife
Number of responses
Same No answer More Less Don't know
Figure 4-6 Response to change of all visitors.
-
29
Table 4-7 Features potentially attracting visitors to other sites. Total numbers for locals and non-locals and percentage of response of total responses.
Falmouth Watersports Local Non-local Total % of total
No features/nothing 41 14 55 35
More dog friendly 0 0 0 0
Better launching/access to
water 33 3 36 23
Better path
surfacing/routing 0 0 0 0
Refreshments (e.g.cafe) 1 0 1 1
Better
information/maps/boards 2 0 2 1
Measures to control others 2 0 2 1
Toilets 1 0 1 1
Better/easier parking
facilities 26 2 28 18
Cheaper/free parking 23 1 24 15
Closer to home 5 0 5 3
Attractive scenery 2 1 3 2
-
30
4.9 OTHER VISIT DESTINATIONS 62 other destinations were named by locals and 21 by non-local visitors. Most frequently local
people suggested Mylor, St Mawes and the Helford area. Local residents suggest 3 times more
locations than non-local visitors (22). Helford is the location most frequently cited by non-
locals (3).
Table 4-8 Visit destinations of local and non-local visitors to the site
LOCAL NON-LOCAL
Mylor 22 Falmouth yacht club launch
1 All over Cornwall
1
St Mawes 19 Gull Rock 1 All over Falmouth
1
Helford 17 Gweek 1 Belfast 1 Flushing 6 The Manacles 1 Coastal areas 1 Fowey 5 Linen Bay 1 Dartmouth 1 Swanpool 5 Malpas 1 Feock 1 All over Cornwall 3 Newquay 1 Flushing 1 Hayle 3 Pandora Inn 1 Helford 3 Helford passage 3 Penryn 1 Looe 1 Maenporth 3 Percuil 1 Ireland 1 Penzance 3 Place 1 Liverpool 1 Restronguet 3 Plymouth 1 Malpas 1 All over Fal SAC 6 Ponsharden 1 Mt Edgecombe 1 Truro 3 Porthcrn 1 Mylor 1 Fal River 2 Porthkerris 1 Penryn 1 Falmouth 2 Porthscatho 1 Poole 1 Falmouth bay 2 Portsmouth 1 Salcombe 1
Gylly 2 Prince of Wales Ppier
1 St Ives 2
Loe beach 2 Roche 1 St Mawes 1 St Antony 2 Roseland 1 Trelissick 1 St Just 2 Round Fal harbour 1 Truro 1 All up and down the coast
1 ScilliesFal 1
Black Rock 1 Sea outside SACFal 1 Brittany 1 The ManaclesS 1 Carrick roads 2 Trelissick 3 Durgan 1 Castle beach 1 Devon 1 Devoran 1
-
31
4.10 TRANSPORT
Figure 4-7 Preferred mode of transport over seasons.
Arrival by car is by far the most common way of reaching Falmouth (54% of all answers). This
goes for both local and non-local residents. Local residents are more likely to arrive by foot
(25% of all locals versus 15% for visitors). Visitors are more likely to arrive by water (23%
versus 8% of locals).
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
January
May
July
September
January May July September
Car/motorcycle 0 25 46 29
By Water 0 5 5 8
Bicycle 0 1 1 0
Horse 0 0 0 0
Train 0 0 0 1
On foot 1 14 7 15
Bus 0 2 0 0
Car/motorcycle By Water Bicycle Horse Train On foot Bus
-
32
5 MALPAS
Malpas is a quiet village on the Truro river, approximately 1 mile outside the city. It is tidal and
can only be accessed by water at high tide. The surveys for this site were taken from Sunny
Corner. This site provides beach moorings for small and medium sized vessels, and there is
nearby roadside parking.
No visitors were recorded or surveyed in Winter, and the highest number of questionnaires
were recorded in Summer (100), with a total number of 189 questionnaires reflecting the
visitor patterns (Table 5-1). Overall, 59 dogs were part of survey groups, and 175 were
recorded on tallies (with the highest number of dogs being recorded in Autumn).
Group size was smallest in Spring (1.3) and largest in Autumn (1.7).
Table 5-1 Overview of results for Malpas. Survey and Tally data combined
Malpas (Tally) Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total
Individuals 0 142 250 244 636
Group 0 22 35 27 84
Dogs 0 43 53 79 175
No of refusals 0 15 29 10 54
No already interviewed 0 9 14 28 51
Questionnaire Data
Sum of People interviewed 51 180 85 316
Sum of Dogs in interview groups 10 28 21 59
Count of Questionnaires 39 100 50 189
5.1 VISITOR PURPOSE Over all four seasons, a total of 189 questionnaires were completed which represented 316
people. 11 of those interviewed were visiting from outside Cornwall, 10 (6%) of these were on
holiday in the area, and 1 (1%) was visiting as part of an organised activity on site. Most people
interviewed (163) at this site were living in Cornwall and on a day trip or short visit, 80 of these
were Summer visitors (Table 5-2). However, no one was interviewed in Winter, although this
survey was conducted for a shorter length (6 hours) than the other seasons, it is still indicative
of the low usage of this site in the Winter months.
-
33
Table 5-2 Visit purpose of visitors to Malpas. Percentages are per month and total.
MALPAS – visitor origin
Winter Spring Summer Autumn Grand Total
tota
l %
tota
l %
tota
l %
tota
l %
tota
l %
Living in Cornwall on a day
trip or short visit 0 36 95 80 90 47 94 163 92
Living outside of Cornwall
on holiday in the area 0 2 5 5 6 3 6 10 6
Living in Cornwall Visiting
as part of an organised
activity on the site
0 0 0 3 3 0 3 2
Living outside Cornwall
visiting as part of an
organised activity on the
site
0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
5.2 VISITOR ACTIVITY Visitors were asked about the activities they were carrying out on site at Malpas at the time
of the visit, and at other times of the year. A total of 231 responses were given.
Main activities are plotted together with total (i.e. main plus secondary activities)
independent of the season, to give an overview of visit intensity per activity. Multiple
responses were possible.
Figure 5-1 shows that the most popular main activities (84) and total activities (89) at the
Malpas site was walking. Dog walking was the second most popular total (47) and main activity
(45). Canoeing and kayaking was the third most frequently noted total activity (22).
Figure 5-1 Main and total activities of all visitors to the site.
Figure 5-2 considers the main activities independent of season but with a focus on use by
local/non-local visitors. Overall, “walking”, “dog walking” and “motor yacht” were the
activities most used by local visitors on the day of their survey. A small number of non-local
visitors also used the site for “walking” and “dog walking”. The results also show that non-
0102030405060708090
100
TOTAL MAIN
-
34
local visitors were primarily involved in terrestrial activities at this site, and the only single
water based activity that was noted for a non-local visitor was “small sailing craft”.
Figure 5-2 Main activities for local and non-local visitors
Generally, the results show that Malpas is a popular site for walking and dog walking all year
round. Autumn received the most responses for “walking” making up 39% and “dog walking”
making up 20% of activities cited in Autumn and 59% (combined) of activities recorded overall.
The most popular water based activities at Malpas are “Canoeing/kayaking”, “small sailing
craft”, “fishing” and “motor yacht”. However, these only accounted for a total 24% (combined)
of the activities overall. As Malpas is extremely tide dependent, this could be one of the
reasons for lower numbers of water users in comparison to terrestrial users. However, it is
worth nothing that the tallies do show a higher number of water users than the surveys
represent.
01020304050607080
Local Non-local
-
35
Table 5-3 All activities combined by season. Percentages of season and total.
Malpas Winter % Spring % Summer % Autumn % Total %
Birdwatching etc 0 0 3 6 3 3 2 2 8 3
Cycling 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 3 1
Dog walking 0 0 11 22 20 21 16 19 47 20
Horse riding 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jogging etc 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
Kite Flying 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Outing with family 0 0 2 4 2 2 1 1 5 2
Walking 0 0 19 38 46 47 24 29 89 39
Bait digging etc 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0
Canoeing/kayaking 0 0 0 0 10 10 12 14 22 10
Fishing – Angling 0 0 2 4 3 3 6 7 11 5
Fishing - spear fishing 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 1
Jet ski 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kite surfing 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Motor yacht 0 0 7 14 3 3 0 0 10 4
Sailing yacht 0 0 1 2 1 1 6 7 8 3
Small sailing craft 0 0 3 6 6 6 2 2 11 5
Stand up paddle board 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 3 1
Surfing 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 3 1
Windsurfing 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Sub Aqua diving 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0
Swimming 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 1
Rock pooling 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Gig rowing 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
-
36
Table 5-4 Tally results for Malpas in all seasons.
Malpas - TALLY Season
Activities Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total
Canoeing/kayaking 0 4 13 31 48
Paddleboarding 0 30 2 4 36
Fishing 0 1 1 7 9
Jet Ski 0 0 0 0 0
Kite surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Motor boat 0 6 7 51 64
Sailing boat 0 0 1 23 24
Surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Wind Surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Swimming 0 0 1 10 11
Rock-pooling 0 0 0 7 7
Bait digging 0 0 0 0 0
Gig rowing 0 0 0 0 0
5.3 VISIT FREQUENCY Local and non-local visitor groups were asked how often they visited Malpas for recreational
purposes over the past year (Table 5-5). Apart from Winter which received no responses,
Spring, Summer and Autumn all received a varying frequency of local (L) and non-local visitors
(V).
Overall, most local people would visit Malpas a few times a week (33%) to several times a
month (23%). Unsurprisingly, most non-local people would visit Malpas less than once a
month (44%), and 41% of people were interviewed on their first visit.
The highest recording of local visitors was noted “several times a month” in Summer (28), in
contrast 6 local individuals were recorded on their first visit.
The highest number of visitors tended to visit this site after 5 pm (46), and only 20 responses
in total visited the site before 9am (Figure 5-3). Although Summer received the most visitors,
no significant difference was found between the season and the time of day the site was
visited. Notable is however that 10% of responses in Spring mention tide-dependency of their
visit, which could be linked to the higher percentage of water users this season.
-
37
Table 5-5 Visit frequency for locals (L) and non-locals (V) by season and percent of total visitors in both categories.
Malpas Winter Spring
(V)
Spring
(L)
Summ
er (V)
Summ
er (L)
Autu
mn
(V)
Autu
mn (L)
Total
%(V)
Total
%(L)
Most days (>180 visits) 0 1 13 0 10 0 5 0 16
A few times a week (60-
180 visits) 0 0 12 1 16 0 9 4 33
Several times a month
(20-60 visits) 0 0 5 3 28 0 11 11 23
About once a month (12-
20 visits) 0 0 4 1 9 1 5 0 7
Less than once a month
(2-12 visits) 0 0 3 4 21 1 12 44 16
First time 0 1 0 1 6 1 2 41 5
Don’t know 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Figure 5-3 Visit time of day by season.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
May
July
September
Before 9amBetween 9am and 12Between 12 and 3pmBetween 3pm and 5pmAfter 5pmDependent on tide times
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38
5.4 VISIT DURATION Visitor groups were asked about the duration or expected duration of their visit. Most visitors
(both local and non-local) spent approximately 1-2 hours or less at the Malpas site (60-80%).
Out of the total 190 responses, 13 local visitors and 3 non-local visitors cited that they visited
this site for more than 3 hours, all but 3 of these responses were made in Spring and Summer
(Figure 5-4).
Figure 5-4 Visit duration by visit purpose (local/non-local)
5.5 REASONS FOR SITE CHOICE Visitors were asked their reasons for visiting this site, with 222 answers given in total (Table
5-6). 40% of these said they visited Malpas for the attractive scenery and views, and 29% said
they visit this site as its close to home. Only one response was cited to use the site for its
condition of launching facilities, which could relate to Malpas’s tidal location on the estuary.
The only marked difference between local and non-local responses is that a greater
percentage of local responses (30%), said they visited Malpas as it was close to home; this is
in comparison with non-local visitors (20%) who gave the same response.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
May (visit)
May (local)
July (visit)
July (local)
September (visit)
September (local)
May (visit) May (local) July (visit) July (local)September
(visit)September
(local)
Less than 1 hour 1 16 4 45 1 25
1-2 hours 1 14 6 30 2 15
2-3 hours 0 1 9 4
More than 3 hours 1 5 2 5 3
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39
Table 5-6 Reasons for site choice for locals and non-locals. Percentages for each category and total responses.
Malpas Local % Non-Local % Tota
l %
Attractive scenery/views 77 38 11 55 88 40
Close to home 61 30 4 20 65 29
Don’t know 10 5 0 0 10 5
Good/easy parking 15 7 0 0 15 7
Right place for activity (eg. kite
surfing/fishing/good for kids) 6 3 0 0 6 3
Condition of launching facilities 0 0 1 5 1 0
Others in party chose 1 0 0 0 1 0
Feel safe here 5 2 0 0 5 2
Refreshments 10 5 1 5 11 5
Toilets 1 0 0 0 1 0
Particular wildlife interest 8 4 1 5 9 4
Suitability given weather
conditions 1 0 0 0 1 0
Ability to let dog off lead 6 3 1 5 7 3
Particular launching facilities 1 0 1 5 2 1
5.6 RESPONSE TO SPECULATIVE CHANGE Responses to
speculative
change were
generally neutral,
with 80% of all
answers stating
they would visit
as much in
response to any
of the proposed
changes. For
every question in
every season,
“same” was the
most common
response.
Markedly negative responses indicating a lower visit likelihood were given for “increased
parking charges” (40%) and “site busier with more people” (29%).
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Site is busier with more people
Better path surfacing/routing
Parking charges or increased charges
Dogs required to be on leads
Provision of dog waste bins
Presence of warden/beach manager
Part of shore closed in areas sensitive forwildlife
Number of responses
Same No answer More Less Don't know
Figure 5-5 Response to change of all visitors.
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40
5.7 FEATURES ATTRACTING VISITORS TO OTHER SITES 64% of all visitors (101 responses) state that no features would make another site more
attractive to use than Malpas. 16 responses from local visitors (10% of all visitors) said they
would visit another site if it had more attractive scenery (Table 5-7).
Table 5-7 Features potentially attracting visitors to other sites. Total numbers for locals and non-locals and percentage of response of total responses.
Malpas Local Non-local Total % of total
No features/nothing 93 8 101 64
More dog friendly 3 0 3 2
Better launching/access to
water 2 0 2 1
Better path
surfacing/routing 2 1 3 2
Refreshments (e.g.cafe) 7 0 7 4
Better
information/maps/boards 1 0 1 1
Measures to control others 2 0 2 1
Toilets 4 1 5 3
Better/easier parking
facilities 6 1 7 4
Cheaper/free parking 7 1 8 5
Closer to home 3 0 3 2
Attractive scenery 16 0 16 10
5.8 OTHER DESTINATIONS 22 other destinations were named by locals and non-local visitors. The coast path (6) and
Boscawen Park (6) were the most cited destinations, followed by the Helford (3), The Fal (2)
and Falmouth (2).
Table 5-8 Destinations for local visitors
Malpas – Local
All of Cornwall. 3 Coombe 1 Eden 1
Idless woods 3 Coombe King Harry 1 Falmouth 2
Helford 3 Dartmoor 1 Flushing 1
Around Fal 2 Carrick Roads 2 Hayle 1
Around Truro 1 Coast path 6 Hayle Estuary 1
Beaches 2 Constantine river 1 Devoran 1
Bodmin moor 1 Carn Brea 1 Devon 1
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41
Although Perranporth was cited twice, there is no obvious clear preference for any other
specific locations for non-local visitors, sites mentioned include locations within the SAC as
well as further away in Cornwall.
Table 5-9 Destinations for non-local visitors
5.9 TRANSPORT Most of the total responses (62%) cited their arrival by car. People arriving by foot was the
second most commonly cited response (33%). Only 1 person was noted to arrive by water
during the Summer survey (Figure 5-6).
Boscawen Park 7
Non-Local
Local Beaches 1 Carbis Bay 1
Coastal path 1 Falmouth 1
Helford 1 Holywell 1
Idles woods 1 Lizard 1
Newquay 1 St Agnes 1
Penzance 1 St Austell 1
Perranporth 2 Tehidy woods 1
Rock 1 Bodmin 1
Roseland Peninsula 1 Devoran 1
Hayle 1 St Clement 1
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42
Figure 5-6 Preferred mode of transport by season.
6 ST MAWES
St Mawes is a busy seaside town frequented by a mix of local and non-local visitors throughout
the year. The Falmouth to St Mawes ferry operates all year round. The main slipway is not
used for public access as it is too steep to launch, therefore surveys were taken mainly from
the beach, and from the quay wall. Surveys were taken during Winter, Spring, Summer and
Autumn. 218 visitor groups were interviewed, and a total 659 individuals within the site were
included in the tally overall. Summer (99) and Spring (63) received the most questionnaires,
and Winter only had 1 response. Average group size was largest in Spring (3.2) and smallest in
Autumn (2.6) – with one large group was interviewed in Winter. A total of 68 refusals to
participate were accounted for over the whole survey period.
Table 6-1 Overview of results for St Mawes. Tally and survey data combined.
St Mawes (Tally) Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total
Individuals 14 173 299 173 659
Group 2 26 147 15 190
Dogs 10 51 108 60 229
No of refusals 0 11 45 12 68
No already interviewed 0 0 5 10 15
Questionnaire Data
Sum of People 7 199 291 150 647
Sum of Dogs 0 11 37 18 66
Count of Surveys 1 63 99 57 220
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
January
May
July
September
January May July September
Car/motorcycle 28 54 29
By Water 0 1 0
Bicycle 1 4 0
Horse 0 0 0
Train 0 1 0
On foot 11 29 18
Bus 0 1 0
Car/motorcycle
By Water
Bicycle
Horse
Train
On foot
Bus
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43
6.1 VISITOR PURPOSE Over all four seasons, a total of 218 questionnaires were completed, 74% of these were non-
local visitors on holiday in the area and 24% were local visitors on a day trip or short visit.
Summer was the busiest season for non-local visitors (75), and Spring (17) and Autumn (17)
were the busiest seasons for local visitors on a day trip (Table 6-2). These figures indicate how
popular St Mawes is as a seasonal holiday destination to visitors outside the county.
Table 6-2 Visit Purpose by season. Percentages are of season and total visitors.
ST MAWES – visitor origin
Winter Spring Summer Autumn Grand Total
tota
l %
Tota
l %
tota
l %
tota
l %
tota
l %
Living in Cornwall on a day trip or
short visit 1 100 17 33 13 15 17 31 48 24
Living outside of Cornwall on holiday
in the area 0 0 33 65 75 84 38 69 146 74
Living in Cornwall Visiting as part of
an organised activity on the site 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 2 2
Living outside Cornwall visiting as
part of an organised activity on the
site 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6.2 VISITOR ACTIVITY Visitors were asked about the activities they were carrying out at the time of the visit, and at
other times of the year. Respondents could cite multiple activities, a main activity and a
secondary activity (the “total” activities are the “main” and ‘secondary’ activities combined).
A total of 369 responses were given.
Figure 6-1 shows that walking was the most popular “main “activity (57) and “total” activity
(76) at St Mawes. Dog walking was the second most popular terrestrial activity. St Mawes was
a popular destination for a variety of water activities too. Multiple water activities were cited
as both “total” and “main” activities. Yacht sailing (45), canoeing/ kayaking (42), swimming
(25) and motor yacht activities (24) were the most cited “total” activities.
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44
Figure 6-1 Total and main activities for all visitors to the site
Non-local visitors were mostly walking (46), and dog walking (26). Local visitors were also cited
to be mainly involved in walking (11) and yacht sailing (9), although a variety of other activities
were noted too but in far lower numbers (Figure 6-2).
Figure 6-2 Main activities for local and non-local visitors.
Over the whole survey period, “walking” (21%), “yacht sailing” (12%) “dog walking” (11%) and
“canoeing/kayaking” (11%) were the most popular activities recorded at St Mawes. “Walking”
was the most recorded activity in Summer (41) and “yacht sailing” (19) was the most recorded
activity in Spring. Only 2 activities were noted in Winter, these were “gig rowing” (1) and
“yacht sailing” (1). Apart from Winter, surveys showed there was not a significant difference
in activity level between the seasons of Spring, Summer and Autumn at St Mawes (Table 6-3).
01020304050607080
TOTAL MAIN
05
101520253035404550
Local Non-local
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45
Table 6-3 Total activities by season. Percentages are of season and of all activities.
St Mawes Winter % Spring % Summer % Autumn % Total %
Birdwatching etc 0 0 3 3 3 2 0 0 6 2
Cycling 0 0 2 2 3 2 1 1 6 2
Dog walking 0 0 9 8 16 9 16 20 41 11
Horse riding 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jogging etc 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 3 1
Kite Flying 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 3 1
Outing with family 0 0 9 8 17 10 0 0 26 7
Walking 0 0 27 25 41 23 8 10 76 21
Bait digging etc 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Canoeing/kayaking 0 0 10 9 19 11 13 16 42 11
Fishing – Angling 0 0 5 5 8 4 1 1 14 4
Fishing - spear fishing 0 0 0 0 2 1 4 5 6 2
Jet ski 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kite surfing 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Motor yacht 0 0 7 7 11 6 6 7 24 7
Sailing yacht 1 50 19 18 16 9 9 11 45 12
Small sailing craft 0 0 2 2 12 7 5 6 19 5
Stand up paddle board 0 0 1 1 4 2 0 0 5 1
Surfing 0 0 3 3 5 3 1 1 9 2
Windsurfing 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 4 1
Sub Aqua diving 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
Swimming 0 0 6 6 10 6 9 11 25 7
Rockpooling 0 0 0 0 5 3 1 1 6 2
Gig rowing 1 50 1 1 1 1 4 5 7 2
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46
Table 6-4 Tally results for St Mawes
St.Mawes - TALLY Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total
Sum of Canoeing/kayaking 0 6 22 20 48
Sum of Paddleboarding 0 5 5 2 12
Sum of Fishing 0 2 0 2 4
Sum of Jet Ski 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Kite surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Motor boat 0 7 99 54 160
Sum of Sailing boat 0 26 6 40 72
Sum of Surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Wind Surfing 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Swimming 0 22 15 26 63
Sum of Rockpooling 0 3 22 4 29
Sum of Baitdigging 0 0 0 0 0
Sum of Gig rowing 2 2 1 3 8
6.3 VISIT FREQUENCY Local and non-local visitor groups were asked how often they visited St Mawes for recreational
purposes over the past year (Table 6-5). Apart from Winter which only received 1 response,
Spring, Summer and Autumn all received a varying number of local (L) and non-local visitors
(V).
Overall, most local people would visit St Mawes most days (32%), in contrast the second most
noted visit frequency for local visitors was less than once a month (23%). Unsurprisingly
visiting less than once a month was the most cited visiting frequency for non-local visitors
(45%).
The time of day in which people would visit St Mawes varied slightly between seasons. People
visited mostly between 12pm and 3pm in Spring (13), and between 9am and 12 in Summer.
Most responses in Autumn said their visit was dependent on tide times (10).
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47
Table 6-5 Visit duration of local (L) and non-local (V) visitors to the site by season. Percentages are given for each category.
St Mawes Winter
(V)
Winter
(L)
Spring
(V)
Spring
(L)
Summer
(V)
Summer
(L)
Autum
n (V)
Autum
n (L)
Tota
l %
(V)
Total
%(L)
Most days (>180
visits) 0 0 7 13 0 2 1 6 6 32
A few times a week
(60-180 visits) 0 0 1 0 1 3 1 4 2 11
Several times a
month (20-60 visits) 0 1 3 4 2 4 2 3 5 18
About once a month
(12-20 visits) 0 0 2 4 1 0 0 1 2 8
Less than once a
month (2-12 visits) 0 0 16 6 28 7 20 2 45 23
First time 0 0 13 2 31 1 10 2 38 8
Don’t know 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 0
Figure 6-3 Preferred visit time across seasons.
6.4 VISIT DURATION Visitor groups were asked about the duration or expected duration of their visit. Results show
that most local and non-local visitors in Spring and Summer visited St Mawes for more than 3
hours. There are more differences between seasons than between local and non-local