People Survey
We’ve conducted a survey to ascetain the usage of on and around the proposed Landfall sites.
The data from footfall counters placed around Manor Field shows intensive use of all the footpaths surrounded the field throughout the year. The total footfall for the period from 13th May to 31st December 2024 shows a massive 48,821 users. The location map published by National Grid/LionLink is misleading. Comparison with the Ordnance Survey Map shows the designated G2 landing site to be in the middle of Walberswick surrounded by a dense network of local and long-distance footpaths.
Methodology
Below is the map published by LionLink showing locations of their proposed landing sites G and G2. It should be noted that this map shows little context and no footpaths making it appear that these proposed locations are in sparsely inhabited and lightly used areas.
Below is based on the ordnance survey map and shows the positions of the footfall counters and the proposed landing sites G and G2 in context in the middle of Walberswick surrounded by residential houses and a network of footpaths.
Footfall Counters were placed at various positions around Manor Field which are marked with an encircled number on Map 2. Weekly footfall has been used for this analysis as being the most useful and easiest to represent graphically. The footfall counters were installed and initiated at different times. ‘FC1’ initiated the week commencing 13th May 2024, ‘FC2’ in the week commencing 15th July 2024, ‘FC3’ in the week commencing 8th July 2024 and ‘FC4’ in the week commencing 19th August 2024.
The paths leading to Stocks Lane and the Mill were closed for repair during November and part December which reduced the numbers for FC 3. FC 4 was vandalised on the 11th November 2024 and the data receiver removed. All the data after 16th September was lost. FC4 was replaced and reinitiated in the week commencing 8th December so there is a gap in the data collected for this unit.
Final readings were collected on the 2nd January 2025 so the period of data collection shown here is from the week commencing 13th May 2024 to the 31st December 2024.
Analysis of Footfall Counter Data
Table 1 shows the monthly usage figures and the overall footfall and weekly average footfall past each unit during period of data collection. The bar chart shows the data from Table 1 in graphic form.
Why it would be wrong to make a landfall in Manor Field?
Manor field is surrounded by a ring of footpaths which form an interconnecting hub that enables residents and visitors to have access to the beach and to the networks which link to the Suffolk Coast Path, to the Sandlings Walk. This can be seen from Map 2.
The data from the Footfall Counters shows substantial usage of the footpath network around Manor Field by residents and visitors at all times of the year but particularly at peak periods like the August summer holiday and Christmas. There are also other peak usage times when the footpaths are used by running and walking groups for enjoyment and for fund raising events.
It is National Grid / LionLink’s stated policy to avoid disruption to ‘human receptors. Interfering with these footpaths will severely inconvenience residents and visitors and will force them onto main road ‘The Street’ which is heavily used particularly during the holiday period, posing a health and safety hazard. It may also reduce the number of visitors to Walberswick to the detriment of local businesses.
Analysis of Data from Footfall Counters