• What is a Geoparks
• About the Geopark
• Visit the Geopark
• GeoActive
• Our amazing GeoStory
• Our GeoSites
• History and Heritage
• Biodiversity
• Geopark Management
  • The Steering Group
  • Strategic Documents
  • Other Geological Organisations
• Partners and Members
• How to get to the Geopark
• Education

Geopark Management

The English Riviera Geopark encompasses the entire area of Torbay and includes 62.4km sq land and 41.5km sq sea.  The terrestrial area is mainly urban or sub-urban in character but approximately 45% of the land remains undeveloped, as either farmland, woodland or other open space.  The coastline is dramatic, thanks to the area's geology, and has played a significant part in the development of the territory.

Tourism is the area's dominant industry, hosting 9 million bednights each year, and employing approximately 15,000 people both directly and indirectly.  The industry also accounts for 13.5% of the area's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  The resident population of 123,000 expands to around 180,000 during the summer months with the influx of tourists.

The English Riviera Geopark Organisation

The English Riviera Geopark Organisation (ERGO) is responsible for the overall coordination and management of the Geopark. The Key agencies concerned with managing Torbay's heritage established this organisation in 2007, which is a formally constituted body charged with overseeing the Geopark.

The aims of ERGO

To co-ordinate the management of the English Riviera Geopark

To promote, support and facilitate, encourage and enable local projects, initiatives and events that help protect and raise awareness of Torbay's geological heritage

To strengthen existing partnerships and develop new networks to ensure that the geological qualities of the English Riviera Geopark are sustained and promoted for current and future generations

Management framework
Our management aims are brought together under three overriding themes and it is these that determine the work program for managing the English Riviera Geopark.

Maintain the ERGO and co-ordinate activities.
Ensure that geosites and other themes and/or sites with links to the geological heritage (archaeological, ecological, historical or cultural) are high on the agenda within the region's economic regeneration framework for sustainable development.
Work within the European Geopark Network to further the network's construction and cohesion in partnership with other European and global geosites.

Site conservation
Facilitate the protection and enhancement of geosites.
Encourage research into methods for the sustainable management of Torbay's geosites and share best practice with other sites in the UK and abroad.  Our policy on Fossil and Mineral Collection can be found on pages 45 and 46 of the English Riviera Geopark Management Plan, which is available for download from our publications page, or directly by clicking here. (This is a 1.6Mb PDF file). 

Education and geotourism
Work with the tourism sector to actively promote economic development through the enhancement of tourism activities linked to the geological heritage.  Encourage and enable access to geosites where this can be achieved sustainably for the benefit of the community.  Support and develop wide-reaching community-based educational and interpretation programmes concerning geosites and the geological heritage.

English Riviera Geopark Management Plan 

To see the English Riviera Geopark Management Plan please click here. (This is a 1.6Mb PDF file). 

We have a number of levels at which organisations can become involved in the Geopark.

Steering Group - whereby organisations sign up and adhere to the ERGO constitution and code of conduct, and attend steering group meetings. New steering group members need to be approved by the existing steering group members.  To find out more about our steering group members follow the link in the menu.

Working groups (i) site access and conservation (ii) education and community (iii) tourism and marketing (each group is led by a key figure from the steering group) - Whereby an organisation who has signed the constitution and code of conduct do not sit on the steering group but can still become closely involved with the Geopark through the relevant working group.

Business membership - through which local organisations sign up to a code of conduct and pay an annual fee for the use of the English Riviera Geopark trademarked logo, presence on the new website, receive newsletters and have access to Geopark awareness training. Business members are invited to attend the AGM. New business members need to be approved by the Steering Group.  To find out how to join the business membership scheme follow the link in the menu