Coastal access corridor trial to be tested in Cumbria before national decision

10 June 2009

Cumbria County Council is to pilot the Government’s plans to develop an access corridor around England’s coastline.

The council’s countryside access team has been invited by Natural England to test how a coastal access trail might be rolled out around the English coast.

The secretary of state and Natural England have a duty to secure the trail under the Marine and Coastal Access Bill announced in the Queen’s speech last December.

The section of coastline to be trialled is the northern segment of the Cumbrian coast from the county boundary at Gretna down to Whitehaven.

The pilot study will start with a series of workshops with landowners, countryside users and environmental groups to discuss the opportunities and concerns that are likely to arise from greater coastal access, and to test the approach that Natural England might advise relevant authorities to adopt in terms of informing local people and involving them in the decision-making process.

The outcome of the study will then help shape the process which, subject to the successful passage of the Bill through parliament, will be adopted nationally by all councils with access to the coast.

Andrew Coleman, Cumbria’s countryside access manager, said: ‘We should emphasise this is a trial only and that there will be full and open consultation with all those with an interest as part of the development process. West Cumbria is an ideal location for this pilot because there are many different features that will test the development process for creating a continuous coastal route.’

Liz Newton, regional director for Natural England in the north-west, said: ‘The findings of this pilot will help inform how we best establish working arrangements with access authorities and local access forums during implementation.’

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