Instagram hotspot boss faces rewilding challenges

The Seven Sisters chalk cliffs form a stretch of coast between Seaford and Eastbourne

The new chief executive of the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) has shared the challenges of managing the Seven Sisters due to its popularity as an "international hotspot".

The SDNPA took over the management of the Seven Sisters Country Park in 2021 from East Sussex County Council.

Siôn McGeever told Radio Sussex it has close to 850,00 visitors a year and the Seven Sisters was one of the top travel internet searches in China.

"We have become a serious international hotspot but it comes with pressure in how we manage it," he said.

"We have put in some great investments, we spent £2m investing in facilities and we are proud of that.

"The big challenge now is re-naturing the area. We want to show what the best natural landscape can look like."

Mr McGeever said the national park authority's goal was to connect people with restoration and nature recovery.

"We want to focus on how we manage the land and how we manage the chalk grassland," he said.

One of the SDNPA's rewilding initiatives is conservation grazing where ponies, cows and sheep help protect and enhance the chalk grassland, he added.

It is also working with a number of national trusts, wildlife trusts and local authorities to create a Seven Sisters National Nature Reserve (NNR).

Sussex Wildlife Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, South East Water, National Trust, Eastbourne Borough Council, Forestry England and Natural England are involved in the scheme to create the "super nature reserve".

The project's objectives are to protect drinking water resources, chalk geology and habitats, and protect biodiversity.

"We are waiting to hear back from National England, if they approve we would be very excited," said Mr McGeever.

"It would signal to people that the Seven Sisters isn't just a beautiful place to have a nice photo on Instagram, but it's also about the area's natural habitats and wildlife including the birds and butterflies."