The AONB is extremely popular with visitors and this can cause pressures on the area. Sensitive dune reserves are susceptible to erosion and there are concerns over disturbance to internationally important shore nesting birds. Uncontrolled dogs cause the most serious problems. Much has been done to address these pressures by adopting positive visitor management and interpretation techniques, as most damage and disturbance is unintentional. More widely, the AONB's narrow, winding roads and attractive 'honeypot' villages are affected by traffic and parking congestion.
Pressures are most obvious in the summer months, but it is increasingly a year-round problem.
Agricultural pressures include loss of hedgerows and permanent pasture as well as inadequate management of heaths and marshes. Past attempts to manage the coastline have not taken sufficient account of its landscape character, its dynamic nature and natural coastal processes.