The Royal Society for The Protection of birds said it wants to develop and re-brand its RSPB Bempton cliffs reserve as the country's premier seabird experience by 2013.

Bempton's five kilometres of cliffs are home to 250,000 seabirds – the largest population in the country.

The reserve attracts 50,000 visitors a year from Britain and abroad.

The new national centre will have larger, improved visitor interpretation and exhibition areas, a new indoor restaurant and an on-site office, more car parking and improved toilets.

As a national centre its importance as an internationally accepted site of special scientific interest and specially protected area will be raised, as will its reputation as a centre for research into seabirds and the protection of the marine environment.

Ian Kendall, 46, RSPB Bempton site manager for the past two years, said: "We can develop winter feeding stations and by adding CCTV from Bempton and possibly with footage from other bird centres we can show images of egg laying feeding, nesting and more should there be bad weather."