The Broads has fallen at the first hurdle in its bid to become a World Heritage Site.

The Broads Authority nominated the Broads for the accolade last year, but it has not been included on the UK's latest tentative list announced by tourism and heritage minister John Penrose.

The 11 sites on the list – which include the Lake District in Cumbria – will now be considered by the United Nations organisation Unesco for adoption as World Heritage Sites.

Broads Authority chairman Stephen Johnson said: 'World Heritage Status would have brought international recognition for the Broads as the unique and very special area that it is and we are obviously disappointed not to have made the tentative list on this occasion.

'However, the Authority, working with local tourism businesses, has made great strides this year to put the Broads on the world stage in other ways.

'Our project to brand the Broads as Britain's Magical Waterland is getting lots of attention and only last week Visit England chose the area to be one of only four Pathfinder destinations in the UK to receive special focus alongside Manchester, the Peak District and Bath.

'We are delighted to see that another member of the family of National Parks – the Lake District – has made the tentative list and we wish them and all the other candidates every success.'

Other sites included on the tentative list include Chatham Dockyards in Kent; Jodrell Bank observatory in Cheshire; The Forth Bridge in Scotland; The Flow Country, in Scotland; the slate industry of North Wales and Creswell Crags, Derbyshire/ Nottinghamshire.