The revised Scheme was approved following a review by Natural England of the original Scheme used to date. Natural England’s reviewed the lessons learned from its experience of implementing coastal access to date, the delivery of coastal access at Weymouth Bay, and the experience on the ground of stakeholder organisations. The NFU’s response to the Review can be read online here.
Within the revised Scheme Natural England have set out improvements identified under the review. The following is a summary of some of the key findings:
- A shorter, simpler process
Natural England have shortening and simplifying their implementation process by removing the previous Draft Report stage. The revised Scheme has a simpler explanation of the process for implementing each stretch. Within it they have committed to a full dialogue up front with land owmers and occupiers about desirable improvements to access, and about minimising potential conflicts with other land uses and needs.
- Working with those affected
The revised Scheme aims to place greater emphasis on gathering views from key national and local interests at the beginning of work on a stretch. It also emphasises the need to maintain dialogue with these interests as detailed proposals for a stretch are developed, and before Natural England’s report to the Secretary of State is published.
- A fair balance
The revised Scheme re-emphasises the importance of seeking a fair balance between rights of access and the interests of owners and occupiers with land that’s affected.
- Landward spreading
It makes clear that Natural England will not propose additional areas of spreading room landward of the trail if the landowner disagrees with this other than in exceptional circumstances.
- Follow existing walked lines
It emphasises more strongly the intention for the England Coast Path to follow existing walked lines along the coast wherever this is practicable and it meets the criteria in the legislation and the Scheme. It clarifies the relationship between the aim for a direct and convenient coast path, and the privacy of houses in the vicinity.
- Coastal paths and agricultural practice
It re-emphasises that land managers within the coastal margin remain incontrol of their land and entitled to manage it as they think best. It explains how Natural England address conflicts between improved coastal access and the provisions of any agri-environment agreements over the same land.
- Dealing with coastal change
It makes clearer how roll back works in practice when dealing with coastal change, and how we identify the landward extent of the coastal margin in our coastal access report.
The revised Scheme and Natural England’s report on the review, which sets out the changes made from the initial Scheme, can be found on the coastal access pages of the Natural England website: