Norfolk County Council celebrates official opening of accessible boardwalk at Brancaster

The new 2km Brancaster boardwalk recently hosted a grand opening, following its completion earlier this year.

The £1m+ project saw the construction of a new boardwalk, providing inclusive access to a popular part of Norfolk's coast.

Councillor Andrew Jamieson, deputy leader of Norfolk County Council and chair of Norfolk's National Trails Partnership, said:

"This is a really special location that many more people can now enjoy. We looked carefully at the design to make sure it's sympathetic to the surrounding environment. It was equally important to make it accessible to the widest range of people.

"The path runs through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country and it is something that everyone should feel welcome and able to enjoy."

The boardwalk, which forms part of The Norfolk Coast Path, was designed with equity of access and durability at its heart.

The new design offers a 75+ year life expectancy with an emphasis on longevity and ease of maintenance. The materials used in the boards are reinforced with glass, with a core made of recycled bottles.

To make the boardwalk accessible to as many people as possible, it includes:

• A width to accommodate both wheelchair users and pushchairs
• Frequent passing places to help boardwalk users safely pass by each other
• High contrast bumper strips to improve accessibility for people living with dementia
• Viewing points and rest spots - providing better access to nature and relaxation for all abilities
• Handrails for safety at specific points along the route
• Non-slip surface providing extra grip compared to traditional wooden boardwalks.

This new structure replaces the previous boardwalk which had deteriorated in the harsh coastal conditions.

The boardwalk required careful design and installation as it sits amongst a number of environmentally protected locations. The structure's longer lifespan will help to minimise the disturbance to the landscape and wildlife through reduced maintenance visits and many more years until it will need to be replaced.

The overall cost of the project came in at £1,260,000 with funding coming from a variety of project supporters. This included Norfolk County Council, Natural England, The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Norfolk Coast National Landscape and Defra's Farming in Protected Landscape (FiPL) scheme.