Professional AdviceYou are here : News and Press » News Archive » Access to the Countryside » Coastal Access
|
A Case of 'Smoke and Mirrors': Government Has Shown No Regard For Coastal Consultation Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn's announcement at the Labour Party Conference today (Thursday 27 September) that the Government plans to legislate for a statutory right of access around the English coast has paid more attention to political dogma than to the future of the individuals and businesses who will be affected – according to the CLA, the rural economy experts.
"Have Hilary Benn and his colleagues at Defra even read the responses of the 753 individuals and organisations who have taken the time to respond to Defra's Coastal Access consultation? It appears that the Secretary of State has already made up his mind which makes the consultation process a complete farce. "No one's disputing that we need access to the coast. The question is identifying where there are problem areas and dealing with these rather than taking a broad brush approach otherwise this is like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. "Access for all might be a Labour value but I thought that this Labour Government was all about protecting the rights of individuals such as those businesses, farmers and landowners who stand to lose income and capital value as a result of this dogma. "We dread to think how much an approach like this will cost unless of course the Government intends to ride roughshod over these legitimate business interests and refuse to pay them compensation that they would otherwise be due. An uninterrputed path around the English coast is not an easy task. Areas that are currently inaccessible are likely to be so for a good reason. "This is clearly a case of 'smoke and mirrors'", concluded David Fursdon. |
Contact Sarah Slade MRICS
Join the CLA today
The CLA Game Fair 2013
Partnership Opportunities Discover how a corporate partnership with the CLA could help your business. More articles and documents [News Archive] [26 October 2009] Coastal Access (England only)- Background and Government Response to DEFRA Consultation and Pre-legislative Scrutiny of Part 9 Draft Marine Bill [Guidance notes] [7 October 2008] Proposals to improve Access to the English Coast [Consultation response archive] [17 September 2007] |
A chartered surveyor with responsibility for CLA policy on public rights of way and access issues. Provides advice to members on issues arising from public access to the countryside.
- Policy Topics
- Policy Topics
- Site sections
- Specially for members
© 2013 Country Land and Business Association Limited (CLA). All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as expressly permitted by law.
Disclaimer
No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action in reliance on or as a result of the material included in or omitted in this website can be or is accepted by the author(s), the CLA or its officers or trustees or employees or any other persons.
The Advisory Services are made available to members on the basis that members' rights to compensation and the liability (if any) of CLA and its officers and/or its staff advisers, are restricted in the following ways. In the event of any advice given by any CLA staff adviser being given negligently or otherwise being incorrect no liability whatsoever is accepted by the CLA or its officers or by its staff advisers concerned
(a) towards any person who is not the current CLA member to whom the advice was directly given,
(b) to any person in the respect of consequential loss or loss of profits, or
(c) to any person for any sum exceeding £50,000 in respect of any one enquiry (whether made or responded to orally or in writing and whether dealt with at one time or over a period of time).
Any person making use of the Advisory Services accepts such restrictions. Members should refer to appropriate professional advisers in private practice before taking any particular course of action potentially or actually involving any substantial amounts of money.
Please note that whilst the advisers are able to advise on a wide range of subjects relating to land ownership, they cannot act in place of a member's own solicitor, accountant, surveyor and tax specialist by, for example, drafting documents or corresponding on their behalf and may be precluded, by the rules of their own professions, from advising one CLA member against another CLA member in the case of conflict.
Solicitors Indemnity Fund . Solicitors in the CLA Legal Team are not covered by the Solicitors Indemnity Fund in relation to professional negligence in relation to any advice given by them.
Please note that from time to time telephone calls maybe recorded for training purposes.