Plans for the establishment of a national seabird centre at Bempton Cliffs reserve in North Yorkshire have been unveiled by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Visitor facilities at the reserve will be transformed and a new hub for educational visits, community involvement and seabird research will be created as part of a five-year scheme at the site. The project will also include the provision of space for exhibitions, meetings and events, catering facilities, and increased staff and volunteer numbers to boost visitor experience at the reserve, which is home to more than 200,000 seabirds.

Ian Kendall, site manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, said: "Our aim, working with a number of partners, is to create a year-round visitor attraction that is accessible to everyone and which helps the development of the Yorkshire Coast as an international tourist destination." The reserve, which currently attracts around 45,000 visitors each year, boasts the largest kittiwake and mainland nesting gannet colonies in the UK.