Natural England

Natural England’s proposals to open up the length of the English coastline for public access go out to public consultation today.

Defra’s consultation exercise is launched this afternoon at the White Cliffs of Dover by Environment Secretary David Miliband. It seeks views on a range of possible approaches to improving coastal access – but makes clear that Government is particularly interested in receiving views on Natural England’s bold new approach.

Natural England Chair Sir Martin Doughty explained: “We are advising Government to use new legislation to give us flexible new powers to align a suitable strip of access land around the English coast that people will be able to enjoy with confidence and certainty.”

Sir Martin said: “Natural England would concentrate, on sections of coast where access on foot is currently missing, defective, or insecure. The work would create a clear access corridor of varying width around the coast, with clifftop walks complemented by ‘spreading room’ en route such as beaches, dunes, headlands and viewpoints.”

Sir Martin added: “We are also looking to achieve significant environmental improvement around the coast, building on the excellent work to date of Environmental Stewardship and its predecessor schemes. We are particularly interested in rolling back the line of intensive agriculture from the cliff edge over time.”

Should Government decide following its consultation to proceed with the recommended way forward, Natural England envisages a ten-year implementation programme that would fully involve local authorities, farmers and landowners and other key local interests.

Notes to Editors

A regional breakdown for the North West can be seen on www.gnn.gov.uk website

Natural England is the Government agency that works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas.

Natural England has advised Government to introduce new legislation to provide the public with continuous access, so far as practicable, around England’s 4500km coastline. There would be careful consultation with local interests about the design and management of the access arrangements, and about priorities for improvement.

Natural England’s full advice to Government on improving public access to the English coast can be found at www.naturalengland.org.uk/about/board/feb07/210207_coastal_access_NEB_P07_03.pdf*

The detailed fact finding work undertaken by Natural England and its founding bodies included:

• Collection and analysis of coastal data.
• Investigation of coastal land types and access delivery mechanisms.
• Consideration of the possible costs of different mechanisms.
• Market research to assess current public knowledge and use of, and demand for, coastal access.
• Investigation and local discussion within four different study areas.
• Assessment of ways to integrate and maximise landscape, historic environment and wildlife benefits with access provision.
• Research into coastal access in selected European countries.

In summary, implementing Natural England’s recommendations would mean that:

• The public would have continuous, good quality access on foot along the length of the English coast, with clarity on the ground about where they can go and certainty for the future about access to the vast majority of beaches. They would have the confidence that access arrangements along the coast can be quickly and effectively adapted to coastal change, and the knowledge that arrangements will be tailored to local circumstances, in consultation with local interests. They would know that, wherever they reach the coast, they will be able to walk as far as they want in either direction with a minimum of inland diversions.
• Land managers would have the opportunity to be involved in designing sensible local solutions, and the confidence that Natural England will intervene only where there is a need to do so and that their commercial interests will be taken into account.
• Local businesses would be in a position to benefit from the anticipated growth in local markets that good quality coastal access can be expected to generate.
• Conservation bodies would be able to have confidence that coastal access will not only be designed and implemented in ways which avoid significant damage to wildlife and habitats, but that it will be accompanied by measures to enhance the coastal environment for both wildlife and the public.
• Public bodies such as access authorities and the Environment Agency would be able to have confidence that coastal access arrangements are future-proofed, designed to meet local circumstances, and much more compatible than current arrangements with the need to respond to future coastal change and sea level rise. They would also have a clear starting point against which to plan and prioritise further local interventions, eg to improve access to reach the coast, create new circular walks and links with public transport, and provide additional opportunities where circumstances allow for activities such as horse riding and cycling.