The Broads Authority is the agency which has statutory responsibility for

the Broads The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly use ...

in England. Originally, the

Nature Conservancy Council The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) was a United Kingdom government agency responsible for designating and managing National Nature Reserves and other nature conservation areas in Great Britain between 1973 and 1991 (it did not cover Northern ...

(now

Natural England Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...

), pressed for a special authority to manage the Broads which had been neglected for a long time. In 1978, the forerunner to the present-day Broads Authority was established by the Countryside Commission (now also

). Ten years later, it had become clear that a statutory body was needed, and a special

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

, the

Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the Broads Authority. It is the framework for the creation of Broads, an area qualifying for special conservation on account of its ecologica ...

(referred to as ''the Broads Act'') made the Broads Authority into a special

statutory authority A statutory body or statutory authority is a body set up by law (statute) that is authorised to implement certain legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state, sometimes by being Primary and secondary legislation, empowered or deleg ...

which gave it parity yet establishing key differences with

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

authorities.

Responsibilities

The Broads Authority has to: *conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Broads *promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Broads by the public *protect the interests of

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

(as

navigation authority A navigation authority is a company or statutory body which is concerned with the management of a navigable canal or river. Rights of a navigation authority Whilst the rights of individual authorities vary, a navigation authority will typically ha ...

) *have regard for

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

*have regard for the

economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

and

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

interests of those who live or work in the Broads.

Second act

In 2006 the Broads Authority promoted a second act, the primary purpose of which was to introduce greater safety controls on the broads and rivers. The

Broads Authority Act 2009 Broad(s) or The Broad(s) may refer to: People * A slang term for a woman. * Broad (surname), a surname Places * Broad Peak, on the border between Pakistan and China, the 12th highest mountain on Earth * The Broads, a network of mostly navi ...

received Royal Assent in July 2009.

Members

The Broads Authority is not democratically elected. Members are either co-opted from local authorities (to which they have been elected) or appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment. The Broads Authority was formerly represented by one member on the

East of England Regional Assembly The East of England Regional Assembly was the regional chamber for the East of England region of the England. It was based at Flempton, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The assembly was created as a ''voluntary regional chamber'' in 1998 by the ...

, now defunct.

References

External links

www.broads-authority.gov.uk

www.visitthebroads.co.uk
{{Authority control The Broads 1978 establishments in England Government agencies established in 1978 Waterways organisations in England Governance of England