New stretch of East Anglian coastal path ignites access debate

The start of the new section of the of the King Charles III England Coast Path at Ramsholt in Suffolk, which opened in September

The debate over access to the countryside has been sparked with the opening of the latest Suffolk section of the King Charles III England Coast Path.

The planned 2,700-mile (4,345km) byway has national trail status meaning it has government investment to make landowners open up footpaths and infrastructure like bridges and ramps to make it accessible.

The Ramblers organisation has called on the government to introduce a new "access to nature" bill which could help provide more investment in footpaths and open up more of the countryside to walkers.

The Country Land & Business Association (CLA), which represents some landowners, told BBC Politics East it opposed such a bill but "wants more responsible access" to the countryside.

A government spokeswoman said: "We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders."

Jack Cornish, director of The Ramblers, said he wanted everyone to "enjoy these landscapes and walk on a paths that people haven't walked on before".

The idea of the King Charles III path started in Essex, according to Jack Cornish, the Ramblers' director for England.

"Essex volunteers back in the early 2000s really wanted to open up more of their beautiful landscape," he said.

So far about 1,800 miles (2,900km) of the planned 2,700-mile (4,345km) route was open to walkers.

Mr Cornish said those Essex walkers could in theory "walk all the way round to Lincolnshire" when it was completed.

11 miles (18km) of path opened in Suffolk in September it allows the public to walk all around the Deben Estuary between Felixstowe, Woodbridge and Bawdsey, which is a site of special scientific interest and also a designated National Landscape (formerly known as an area of outstanding natural beauty).

It includes new footpaths at Martlesham and Waldringfield as well as the stretch from Ramsholt, with its riverside pub and harbour status, to Bawdsey.

The new bridge which has a ramp making the England Coast Path more accessible

The new national path was a triumph for The Ramblers, but it was not enough, said Mr Cornish, as the group wanted to see an Access to Nature Bill to "remove physical barriers from the path network".

He said there needed to be a "long-term investment strategy" and "quality standards" for paths.

The Ramblers' proposed bill would open up the countryside further he said and the group wanted "to work with landowners to see how everyone can enjoy these landscapes".

Cath Crowther, regional director of the CLA, wanted to see more support for landowners who give the public access

The Countryside and Rights of Way 2000 Act gave people access to land mapped as "open country" such as mountains, moors, heaths and downs.

Cath Crowther, regional director of the CLA, said: "We've already got 140,000 miles of public right-of-way in England and Wales.

"That's more than any other country of a similar size. Lots of CLA members, farmers, landowners and rural businesses are already providing a lot of permissive access.

"The countryside is a working environment and there's often heavy machinery, so we have to think about the safety aspect."

She said the CLA would oppose any Access to Nature Bill but added that the organisation did "want more responsible access, and for landowners to be supported when they do provide those permissive access routes".

Pub landlord Max Durrantis said anything to attract people to the riverside was welcome

The new section of the coastal path starts right by The Ramsholt Arms on the Deben Estuary.

Landlord Max Durrant said the pub industry had been "tough" in recent years, so the prospect of additional walkers seeking refreshment would be a "boost".

"It's obviously very seasonal here so we'll wait till next summer to really see the impact," he said.

Nigel Meadows is Coastal Access Officer for Suffolk Ramblers and says the rest of the path in Suffolk has been approved by government.

There were still sections of the path in Suffolk yet to be opened up — mainly north of Aldeburgh and of Lowestoft towards the border with Norfolk.

Nigel Meadows, coastal access officer for Suffolk Ramblers, who has been working on getting the path open since 2017, said: "It's wonderful really we've now got over half of the Suffolk section open to the public and the rest has all been approved.

"It's going to be brilliant for visitors and for the local economy."

The footpath covers the Suffolk & Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape

The government said it "recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people's health and well-being and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate".

It added: "We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature."

BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday, 19 October at 10:00 BST on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on the BBC iPlayer.

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