Planning for conflict resolution: Jet-ski use on the Northumberland coast

The coastline of Northumberland extends for 146 kilometers from the Scottis h border to the edge of Tyne-and-Wear, one of England's major conurbations. The main features of this landscape are rocky headlands with soft duneland s providing multiple access points. As part of a study to develop a strateg y for water-based recreation, the development of management proposals for t he use of jet-skis was addressed as an issue of particular significance. Th e overall aim was to reconcile the disparate nature of the recreation and c onservation interests through the production of a strategic framework that would act as a mechanism under which conflicts could be identified and reso lved. The principles adopted and the study approach and methods illustrate a useful way to provide locally relevant proposals to deal with the dilemma s of managing "new wave" sports such as jet-skiing in ecologically sensitiv e and aesthetically important coastal landscapes.