2 December 2005
The Ramblers’ Association (RA) in Wales is calling for a right of access to be extended to Wales’ beautiful, rugged coastline. The call is made on the eve of the opening of the RA’s new office by Julie Morgan MP in Cardiff on Monday December 5th at 9.30am.
Coastal access uses the same legislation that brought the ‘freedom to roam’ to Wales in May this year and opened up over 450,000 hectares of land to walkers. The Welsh Assembly has already made a commitment to extending access to Wales' coasts by 2008/2009, and the RA wants to make sure that this brings the maximum possible benefits for the people of Wales.
Coastal tourism is already estimated to be worth some £704 million (Welsh Tourist Board 2003). A new right of access has the potential to increase this figure considerably.
Beverley Penney, Director of the RA in Wales said: “The Welsh coast has a very special place in our hearts. It’s where we escaped to on family holidays and where many of us go each year for pleasure, exercise and relaxation. Yet there is no statutory right of access to most coastal areas. We can be stopped at any time walking on a beach or on our beautiful coastline. This is why we want to improve and secure it for future generations to enjoy.”
She added: “Above the beaches, people are often constrained to an all-too-narrow and often eroded cliff top path. People exploring the coastline don’t want to be hemmed in. They want a broad swathe of land adjacent to the beach so they can relax and enjoy the view of the horizon. There are many places where this quality, extent and certainty of access just isn’t available and the RA is calling on the Assembly to put this right.”
Julie Morgan MP will be opening the Ramblers new office at 3, Coopers Yard, Curran Rd, Cardiff CF10 5NB at 9 am on Monday 5 December.
For further information or to obtain examples of coastal access problems please contact Beverley Penney, Director, (m) 07775826021 (temporary mobile).
