The BMC and the Ramblers have together produced a comprehensive information and training pack which will enable volunteers to play a full part in Natural England's coastal access scheme.

Over the coming years Natural England will produce a series of 54 reports covering the whole of the English coast, recommending where a coastal path and an associated margin of public access land will be created. Local consultation work will help to define and create this path and access land.

The quality of the final coastal route and associated access land will depend on the willingness of local user groups to engage with Natural England’s report-writing process and feed in their views, thereby tailoring local provision to local need. Our training and information pack will empower and equip local walkers and climbers to play a full part in the definition and implementation of coastal access and secure the most favourable provision for users.

The volunteer pack contains:

• an introduction to the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009;
• a brief guide to Natural England's coastal access scheme, explaining how local volunteers can engage with the implementation and report-writing process;
• a coastline survey checklist to help volunteers record simple information along a stretch of coast; and 
• a series of coastal access training maps to enable volunteers to clarify how the scheme will work on the ground.

For a full paper copy of the Coastal Access Volunteer Pack and for more information please contact Cath at cath@thebmc.co.uk 

Following the government's recent comprehensive spending review, it now seems likely that Natural England will be pushing ahead with the next five stretches of the England Coast Path in 2011 but after this it is unclear where and when the rights will be extended. These areas cover;

Cumbria - The proposed stretch will be from Whitehaven to Allonby and approximately 30km in length.

Kent - The proposed stretch will be from Dover to Ramsgate and approximately 31km in length.

Norfolk - The proposed stretch will be from Sheringham to Happisburgh Common and approximately 30km in length.

Somerset - The proposed stretch will be from Minehead to Stert Point and approximately 35km in length.

Durham - The proposed stretch will be from Sunderland to Hartlepool (including Durham) and approximately 30km in length.

The BMC / Ramblers will also be holding some training events in Jan / Feb 2011 around each of the five areas of coast to support the material in the volunteer pack.

Work has already begun on improving coastal access at Weymouth Bay, between Portland and Lulworth Cove, to ensure that the new rights are in place for the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events in 2012. Natural England has published its Draft Proposals for this stretch of coast, and they are now available for public consultation until 10th January 2011. The consultation document and further details are available online

The BMC will be submitting a response to this draft report and all of the proceeding reports. Details of our submission will be posted on the BMC website in due course.

 

« Back