WE DID IT!
Thanks to all your support, coastal access is a reality!
After ten years of campaigning and lobbying by the Ramblers, the Queen has given Royal Assent to legislation which will create a legal route around the whole of England. Thousands of miles of inaccessible and out-of-bounds coastline will be permanently opened up to the public with the implementation of the Marine and Coastal Access Act. This piece of legislation has taken almost two years to go through parliament and now, thanks to continuous lobbying from you, it will become law. This means that you will now be able to enjoy your coast, without fear of trespassing or being diverted miles inland.
Currently nearly 50% of the English coast has no public right of way, and the public can only walk an average 1.9 miles on the coast on a ‘secure or satisfactory path’. The Act creates a duty to put in place a continuous coastal path around England, which will join with the Welsh Coastal Path and the existing rights of access in Scotland, to give the public the right to walk around the entire British coast for the first time.The new legal path is expected to bring unprecedented access to millions and vitally boost the rural economy.
Many, many thanks for all the lobbying and campaigning you have done to make coastal access a reality - this historic Act would never have been possible without the fantastic support you have given us in this campaign.
However the hard work is not over!
After the passing of secondary legislation needed to turn the act into reality and public consultations on Natural England’s Coastal Access Scheme, the Ramblers will be looking to play a full and active role in the planned 54 local access reports which will be needed to put the path in place over the next 10 years.
To do this we need local ramblers and volunteers who know their section of the coast. If you want to get involved in this important work check out our Volunteers website over the next few months and get involved via your local group.
Thanks very much and congratulations for ensuring legal access to your coast!
More information on the history of the campaign can be found here.
