Landscape protection, recreation and public access
Improving Access to the English Coast
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On 3 April 2008 the Government published the draft Marine Bill. The draft Bill helps fulfil the Government’s 2005 election manifesto commitment to introduce a new framework for the seas based on marine spatial planning, that balances conservation, energy and resource needs. The draft Bill will now go through a period of pre-legislative scrutiny before being introduced into Parliament.
Part 9 of the draft Bill contains provisions for improving access to the English coast. It will place a duty on the Secretary of State and Natural England to secure a long distance route (“the English coastal route”) and land available for open-air recreation (“spreading room”) accessible to the public around the coast of England. The draft Bill amends existing legislation – namely the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 - to provide a coastal margin, within which people will be able to walk along a long distance route for the length of the English coast (with certain exceptions). In addition people will have access to coastal land such as beaches, cliffs, rocks and dunes, for the purposes of open-air recreation on foot.
The draft Bill has been published on the Defra website at the following address: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marinebill
Other documents including Explanatory Notes, a Policy Document and an Impact Assessment can be viewed at the following address, together with information on how to send comments to Defra on the draft Bill during the pre-legislative scrutiny period: www.defra.gov.uk/marine/legislation
The Government has published a document [PDF] (45 KB) explaining how the coastal access proposals will work, and in particular how the provisions in the draft Marine Bill; the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949; the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; and proposed section 3 order under the 2000 Act will work together to deliver improved access to the English coast.
The Government has also published a document that sets out the measures it intends will be contained in an order under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, as provided for in the draft Marine Bill. Following Royal Assent of the Bill, we will carry out a consultation process on the details of such an order which must be approved by each House of Parliament.
To accompany the draft Marine Bill, Natural England has published an outline of the scheme which it will use to decide where the new coastal access rights will apply at the local level. This document, which must be approved by the Secretary of State, sets out the practical considerations which will be taken into account in respect of particular land types and land uses. Natural England intends to publish a first full draft of the scheme at the time that the Marine Bill is introduced into Parliament. Once the Bill receives Royal Assent, Natural England will finalise the document in consultation with key interests before submitting it to the Secretary of State. The outline scheme can be viewed on Natural England's website at the following address: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/leisure/access/coastal.
Background
The decision to legislate so that the public will have the right to walk around the English coast for the first time was made following the Consultation on Proposals to improve access to the English coast [PDF] (649 KB) which closed on 11 September 2007. A report summarising the responses is available to download [PDF] (544 KB).
The consultation followed Natural England`s report and advice to Government Improving coastal access Our advice to Government made in February 2007.
For more information on Defra and Natural England’s work, see the Frequently Asked Questions about access to the English coast.
For further enquiries please telephone 0117 372 8449 or email our shared e-mail account: coastal.access@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Page last modified:30 June 2008