Defra has published a new consultation asking for people to state (or re-state) their views on whether or not the coastal access duty under the Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009 should apply in relation to the coast of the Isle of Wight.
Defra originally consulted on whether an order should be made to extend the duty to the Isle of Wight in 2012 and in publishing a summary of the responses received on the 16 July 2013 stated:
‘The Government has decided that it will not make an order for the Isle of Wight as it is not a priority for the coastal access programme. It considers that the Isle of Wight Ramblers should work with local landowners and the local authority to see what can be achieved by voluntary agreements.’
The Government has now re-considered what respondents had originally said to that consultation and its decision. Defra has stated that the purpose of the new consultation is to give a second opportunity for people to state (or re-state) their views on the Isle of Wight's inclusion and in particular the degree of priority that should be accorded to the making of an order, and the implementation of any coastal access proposals for the Isle of Wight as against the rest of the coastal access programme, given limited funds available for the overall programme.
The consultation is available at: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/landscape-outdoor-recreation-and-forestry/isle-of-wight-coastal-access
Defra have said that submissions to the previous consultation will be taken into account and there is no requirement for new responses to be made unless so desired. Defra’s deadline for consultation responses is the 24 January 2014. The NFU responded to the previous consultation, we did not believe that it would be beneficial to extend the order to the Isle of Wight given the existing extensive provision for access on the island.