Landmark bill a “victory for walkers everywhere”
Says Britain’s walking charity
Thousands of miles of inaccessible and out-of-bounds coastline will be permanently opened up to the public for the first time, as the Marine and Coastal Access bill has been made law today, following years of campaigning by the Ramblers.
The historic act, which has just gained Royal Assent (12 November), creates a continuous coastal path around England allowing the public the right to walk the country’s entire coastline for the first time (1). The Ramblers has been campaigning for coastal access since it was founded, in 1935.
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’ (Natural England 2009). The path is expected to bring unprecedented access to millions and vitally boost the rural economy.
Tom Franklin, CEO of the Ramblers, comments: “Years of solid campaigning by the Ramblers has paid off; this historic act marks a victory for everyone who walks in this island nation. The Marine and Coastal Access Act enshrines a very simple principle on the statute books – that everyone, no matter who they are, where they come from or how much money they have has the right to visit all parts of the coast which is so much a part of our heritage.”
He added: “The Government deserves genuine congratulations for having introduced the bill, with research from Natural England, and now having carried it through to fruition. What is now needed now is a continued commitment to deliver access on the ground so people have a chance to enjoy the coast.”
Now the Ramblers campaign will focus on making the secondary legislation needed to turn the act into reality, working with its strong national workforce of volunteers to help Natural England create a National Trail which will be the envy of the world. They have produced a pack that will ‘myth-bust’ and provide answers to many frequently asked questions.
For FAQs, next steps and more info on the act visit: www.ramblers.org.uk/campaigns/Coastal+Access+latest+news
Visit www.naturalengland.org.uk for detailed maps of England’s coast, showing gaps in access.
(1) The English coastal path when completed, will link with the Welsh Coastal Path (due to be completed by 2012) 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.
