Thanks to the hard work of committed Ramblers’ volunteers, the Marine and Coastal Access Act was passed in 2009. This legislation allows for the designation of a continuous route for walkers along the entire coast of England. Work has already begun to establish the route, which has long been a goal for keen walkers everywhere. I’m writing to you today to tell you the problems facing the coastal route, and to let you know how you can help.
It is becoming clear that the Government does not view coastal access as a priority, and indeed, might delay indefinitely the designation of the new route. This June, DEFRA, the department responsible for the environment, published a White Paper laying out the Government’s vision for the natural environment. Shockingly, this paper doesn’t mention the future of coastal access, showing a lack of commitment to improving access around the English coast. In their responses to our letters and in their answers to Parliamentary Questions, government officials have refused to say whether they will allow Natural England’s work on the coastal route to continue beyond the work already started in six specific areas (Weymouth Bay, Durham, Norfolk, Kent, Somerset and Cumbria).
We need to show the Government that the coastal route has enormous public support and will bring significant social, economic and health benefits for the public. The recent public outcry over the threat to woodland access forced the Government to change its view. Let's show them that people want improved access to coastal land as well.
ACTION: We are calling on all Ramblers members to write to their MP over the Parliamentary summer recess to ask for their support for the designation of the England coastal route. You can find suggested text for a letter below, however, it would be most effective to write the letter in your own words and give examples of how the new legislation could bring benefits (social, health, economic) locally.
****Please note that it is important to ask your MP to copy your letter to the relevant Minister (Richard Benyon MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries at DEFRA). He is the person who has the power to say whether Natural England can carry on with their work. *****
Please encourage as many members in your Area or Group to send letters as well. We ask that when you send your letter:
• Please contact (via e-mail or other means), 3 other people to ask them to write.
• In turn, they can each ask 3 more members, and so on.
If this game of ‘letter tag’ succeeds, MPs and Ministerial post bags will fill nicely over the summer recess. MPs have told us that receiving 5 letters on a single subject is unusual, so your letters will make a difference!
Sample text can be found here
If you would like copies of flyers to hand out on walks, to encourage others to write, please contact anastasia.french@ramblers.org.uk at Ramblers central office.
There are many other things you can do over the next few months to help us ensure the coastal access project continues. For example, you could invite your MP on a coastal walk to highlight the issues; encourage all Ramblers in your area/group to send Richard Benyon a seaside postcard or donate to the forthcoming Ramblers’ coastal access fundraising appeal. For a full list of campaigning ideas, please visit http://www.ramblers.org.uk/Campaigns+Policy/ctctakeaction.
There is a special seaside prize and feature in walk magazine available for the individual and Ramblers area/group that does the most campaigning over the summer so please tell us what you have done by contacting us.
If you have any questions or need any advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Many thanks for your continued support!
