Broads Authority

The Broads Authority is the agency which has statutory responsibility for The Broads National Park.

Originally, the (then) Nature Conservancy Council (now English Nature), 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 {then} Countryside Commission (now the Countryside Agency).

Ten years later, it had become clear that a statutory body was needed, and a special Act of Parliament, The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988 (referred to as the Broads Act) made the Broads Authority into a Special Statutory Authority which gave it parity with National Park authorities.

The Broads Authority has to:

• conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Broads
• promote the enjoyment of the Broads by the public
• protect the interest of navigation
• have regard for agriculture and forestry
• have regard for the economic and social interests of those who live or work in the Broads.