Nature Reserve and Wildlife Tourism Consultants
Planning Solutions Consulting (PSC) specialises in helping nature reserves, wildlife trusts and environmental organisations plan for sustainable growth. We work with site managers, trustees and funders to turn conservation ambition into deliverable, financially sound visitor experiences, from a single interpretation trail to car parking and new visitor centres.
Our services for nature reserves and wildlife organisations
Business plans and feasibility studies: We prepare business plans that support funding applications (including National Lottery Heritage Fund bids), justify capital investment, and set out realistic income and visitor projections for new or improved facilities. Examples include our business plan for the Attenborough Nature Centre for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre for the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Before committing to capital investment, our feasibility studies test demand, site constraints and financial viability. Examples include the Paxton Pits Nature Reserve feasibility study for Huntingdonshire District Council and the Marches Mosses visitor centre feasibility study for Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
Visitor experience masterplans: We help nature reserves plan the full visitor journey – access, interpretation, facilities and infrastructure, balancing conservation priorities with visitor enjoyment and income potential. Our work includes visitor experience masterplans for Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve for Hampshire County Council and the newly designated Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve for Natural England.
Visitor research and audience development: We design and deliver visitor and community research programmes to inform audience development plans, such as our Heritage Lottery Fund audience development plan for RSPB Rainham Marshes and primary research at Steart Peninsular.
Income generation strategies and commercial review of visitor centres and sites: With conservation funding under increasing pressure, we help trusts identify sustainable, unrestricted income streams, as in our revenue generation assessment for The Cut Visitor Centre for Shropshire Wildlife Trust. For the Peak District National Park Authority, we reviewed four visitor centres and bike hire operations with a focus on financial resilience planning and public engagement.
Access and visitor management planning: With visitor pressures increasing at some sites, we develop sustainable visitor management plans, including large-scale partnership projects such as Cumbria Connect, covering access and visitor management at a specific site and working with an associate for the Glen Nevis Landscape Partnership on a sustainable tourism and visitor management project.
Clients we’ve worked with
Our nature reserve and wildlife tourism clients include:
- BirdWatch Ireland
- Hampshire County Council
- Huntingdonshire District Council
- Lancashire Wildlife Trust
- Natural England
- Natural Resources Wales
- Northumberland Wildlife Trust
- Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
- Shropshire Wildlife Trust
- Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
- Sussex Wildlife Trust
- The RSPB
- Wigan Council
Find out more about our nature reserve and wildlife tourism projects.
What our clients say
“PSCL were selected as a consultant to complete a high-level review, of development plans for a new Welcome Building and projected visitor numbers, at RSPB St Aidan’s.
Despite it being a relatively small piece of work in a short time frame, the team committed considerable time and resource to it, visited the site, carried out independent research and went above and beyond what was expected of them.
Richard, Kevin and Duncan are professional, friendly and communicative, and bring with them a wealth of experience in visitor centre development and management. It has been a pleasure to work with PSCL. The final report was delivered on time and to a very high standard.” Julia Phillips, RSPB Project Manager
Talk to us about your project
Whether you’re planning a new visitor centre, preparing a funding bid, or simply want to make more of an existing nature reserve, we’d welcome the chance to talk it through. There’s no cost and no obligation to an initial conversation; it’s simply a chance for us to understand your site, ambitions and requirements.
Call Richard Linington on 07866 742628, or email richard@pslplan.co.uk, and we’ll arrange a time to talk.