A coastal right to roam?

[Mr. X]

This might be an interesting topic for spearos. In general, we want to conserve & improve marine environments. However, we also require good coastal access to the sea (for those of us without RIBs!). Some may own coast land too(?).

I kind of like the sound "a new unrestricted right to roam on all beaches, foreshore and coastal land", although I believe that for the most part that is already the practice in the UK - at least between the high & low water marks (unlike America...try walking along a beach in Falmouth, MA ... they write "Private" on the big beach pebbles!rofl).

Anyway...from the Countryside Alliance today.

"A coastal right to roam?

Reports that the Countryside Agency is proposing a new unrestricted right to roam on all beaches, foreshore and coastal land are a major concern for conservationists, wildfowlers and other land managers.

The Alliance supports sensible moves to increase public access to rural areas where that is sustainable. The Agency’s proposals, however, contain no right of appeal or plans for mapping access areas – there will simply be unfettered access to some of the most sensitive, and dangerous, areas of the countryside. I discussed the possibility of a coastal ‘right to roam’ with Graham Wynne, Chief Executive of the RSPB, in a recent meeting and know that they will be as concerned as we are about the prospect of uncontrolled access.

The implications for breeding colonies of birds, such as the Artic Tern, which nest on coastal shingle banks are obvious, but so too are the problems a right to roam over coastal areas will cause for wildfowling clubs. Many marshes, especially in the South and South East, are close to areas of high population and easily accessible from existing rights of way. If wildfowling clubs in these areas did not have enough to worry about there is now the prospect of ‘fowlers having to be constantly concerned about who else might be on the marsh, not to mention the implications of access on public liability insurance.

The conservation, reclamation and even creation of coastal and inter-tidal habitats has been one of the great success stories of the last 50 years delivered with government by a coalition of local conservation groups, wildfowlers and national organisations like the RSPB. Since almost all of those involved in coastal management are opposed to these plans the Countryside Agency needs to think again about how to increase access to coastal areas.

Simon Hart "