Coastal access brings St Ives top seaside town award
[13 July 2007]
Good quality access for walkers has helped St Ives win The
Guardian’s ‘ Best Seaside Town Award’ (Saturday 14 July). The
Ramblers' Association, the leading campaigners for increased
access to the English coast, says the
award demonstrates the importance of and popular support for
coastal access. It is pushing for other seaside towns to emulate
St Ives.
Kate Ashbrook, chairman of the Ramblers’ Association, was one of
the 22 judges for the Award, choosing the winner from a
shortlist of 12.
Says Kate: 'In considering the 12 towns, I looked for examples
of good coastal access and public rights of way in the immediate
area, guaranteeing a warm welcome, as well as curbing the car by
using park-and-ride schemes and public transport.
'I voted for St Ives in Cornwall, the winner, because our local
volunteers were so enthusiastic about the much improved coastal
access, with the South West Coast Path offering a wonderful
coastal experience all the way to Zennor and beyond. And there's
a bus service around the peninsula to Land's End and Penzance,
and to the nearby Penwith Moors where the public now has the
right to walk, thanks to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act
2000. The town has park-and-ride, preventing it from becoming
clogged with cars and pollution.
'We hope that the government will soon introduce a new public
right to walk on coastal land, so that the excellent example of
St Ives may be emulated all around the English coast.'
The Guardian Guide To The Seaside is published free with The
Guardian on Saturday 14 July featuring hundreds of ideas for how
to make the most of the British and Irish seaside, from finest
coastal walks and cycle rides to the best places to go
rockpooling and build sandcastles.