Ordnance Survey – Great Britain's national mapping agency

Government pledges access to English coast

02 October 2007

The Government has pledged that it will legislate for the right of access to the English coastline.

MP Hilary Benn said at the Labour Party Conference that the Government would also introduce a climate change adaptation package to the Climate Change Bill.

Chair of Natural England, a government agency that promotes biodiversity and the conservation of urban, coastal and marine areas, said: ‘Today's announcement by the secretary of state offers the historic prospect of turning this vision into reality.

‘Our vision is for clear, well managed public access along the entire 4 500 km length of England’s coast, to deliver real benefits for coastal communities, visitors and wildlife.’

Natural England says it had advised the Government to introduce legislation that would allow the public continuous access to walk around England's 4 500 km coastline prior to the announcement this week.

This was first identified as a priority issue in 2004 in Defra’s five-year strategy and again in the Labour Party’s rural manifesto a year later, but it is not until now that the Government has taken an official legislative stance on the issue.

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