King opens world’s longest managed coastal walk – but much of it is still closed off | Walking

The world’s longest managed coastal walking route, the Seven Sisters cliff walk, was opened by the king.

However, King III. A large part of the Charles England coast route is still closed to the public due to objections from landowners, fears of coastal erosion and a disused ferry.

Natural England has received a number of complaints from landowners, including farmers who are concerned marauding cows will kill walkers and hotels who do not want members of the public to walk on their lawns.

The 2,689-mile (4,328 km) long road took 18 years and involved seven prime ministers, but there is still no date for granting public access to parts of it. The project was launched by Gordon Brown’s government and legislation put forward by then environment minister Hilary Benn.

Natural England said that although much of the coastal path already existed, 1,000 kilometers of new roads had been added and existing ones had been improved with resurfacing paths, removed bollards and new boardwalks.

Tony Juniper, chief executive of Natural England, said: “After 16 years of hard work by the Natural England team, we are delighted to have reached this milestone for the King Charles III England coast path. It is a testament to how public recreation, conservation, heritage, history and community can come together to help improve the lives of millions of people.”

While legislation passed under the Brown government allowed the government to grant public legal rights over land owned by landowners, the process was slow and subject to negotiations and objections.

Approximately 20% of the road is not yet open to the public. Natural England said it aims to have most of them open by the end of the year.

There are still parts of the stunning Jurassic Coast in the southwest that are not open to the public. objections were expressed Local people will be provided with information about the proposed route and its impacts on wildlife, as well as potential impacts on agricultural and tourism businesses. The proposed route is also problematic coastal erosion.

Also in the southwest Hythe ferryIt was suspended in August 2024 after damage was found to the pontoon and support structure connecting Southampton and Hythe. This is part of the coastal road and is closed indefinitely.

Part of the North Norfolk coastline, Weybourne to HunstantonNatural England is off-limits as it negotiates with landowners, including a hotel. Natural England wants to use some of the hotel land to allow ramblers to walk in the meadow rather than along the roadside.

Discussions have also been held with local groups in the Norfolk area who oppose dogs being walked near seals. Natural England has agreed to ban dogs from parts of the north Norfolk coast path.

In Cumbria, parts of the route between Gretna and Allonby are being redrawn after objections from landowners led to the initial plan being withdrawn. They said the original route was dangerous and would cause disruption to land management practices. They said there was a danger to the public due to the frightening and stigmatization of cattle, the decrease in farm value and lack of compensation, and the risk of drowning in the swamp. Some parts of the proposed new route are no longer next to a road.

Much of the Isle of Wight road is still not open to the public. In addition to problems with coastal erosion, controversy with English Heritage About whether the Osborne estate, where Queen Victoria lived and which King Edward gifted to the nation, could be used. The charity opposes the route on security grounds because the treasures are stored at Osborne.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said the creation of the coastal path was flawed and alienated landowners. He added: “The idea that the English coast road has been successful is ludicrous. Ministers in the last Labor government embarked on a long and expensive process of primary legislation that eventually enshrined an extremely complex coastal access scheme in the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. In Wales the government decided on a different route, creating a simple Welsh coast path using existing legislation, mostly by agreeing with landowners and keeping the push as a largely unused reserve. The Welsh coast path was declared complete in 2009.” 2012.

“The law imposes ridiculous burdens and expenses on those left to enforce it, while alienating landowners who are understandably concerned about losing their rights to large tracts of land.”