Draft Marine Bill

Improving Access to the English Coast

On 4 December 2008 the Government introduced the Marine and Coastal Access Bill into Parliament. The Bill helps fulfil the Government’s 2005 election manifesto commitments to introduce a new framework for the seas based on marine spatial planning, and to improve access to the English coast.

A draft of the Bill was published on 3 April 2008. The draft Bill has been subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (Efra) and the Joint Committee of the Commons and Lords (see below).

Part 9 of the draft Bill contains provisions for improving access to the English coast. It will place a duty on the Secretary of State and Natural England to secure a long distance route (“the English coastal route”) and land available for open-air recreation (“spreading room”) accessible to the public around the coast of England. The draft Bill amends existing legislation – namely the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 - to provide a coastal margin, within which people will be able to walk along a long distance route for the length of the English coast (with certain exceptions). In addition people will have access to coastal land such as beaches, cliffs, rocks and dunes, for the purposes of open-air recreation on foot.

The following links provide more information.

• Defra Marine and Fisheries - Main page for the Bill.
• Defra Marine and Fisheries - Key documents.
• Defra Wildlife & Countryside - Improving Access to the Coast.
• Parliament - Links to all important documents.
• Government response - (Sep 08) to pre-legislative scrutiny
• Article - Trespassers will (still) be Prosecuted
• Pre-legislative scrutiny by Joint Committee - Section 10 of First Report
• Pre-legislative scrutiny by Joint Committee - Contents of First Report
• RA's evidence - Joint Committee on Marine Bill
• Vol 1 - Efra Committee Report
• Vol 2 - Efra Committee Report
• Defra's main coastal access page containing many key links
• NE's Outline Scheme - Natural England have worked closely with Defra on the content of the draft Marine Bill and has published in parallel a scheme which will guide decisions at the local level on improving and managing coastal access. This essential reading.
• Defra's impact statement - This paper sets out the main measures which the Government intends will be contained in an order under section 3A of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, as provided for in the draft Marine Bill.
• Improving Coastal Access Report - Natural England was asked to advise on the appropriateness of the outcomes they had identified, and on the best means of delivering them. These are the detailed findings.
• EFRA Inquiry - The Parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) are holding an inquiry into coastal access provisions and have called for evidence to be submitted to them.
• Latest news from the RA on the national coastal access campaign

Last updated 5 December 2008