National Trust enthusiastic about DEFRA’s coastal access initiative

The National Trust has come out firmly in support of DEFRA proposals to make the whole of the English coastline accessible to the public. The National Trust is Europe’s largest conservation charity so its support, though perhaps not unexpected, will be welcomed by the new Secretary of State Hilary Benn.

The launch of the scheme was hosted by the National Trust on the 20th June when the then minister David Miliband announced that consultations would begin into creating a series of ‘coastal corridors’ around England’s coastline. At the Langdon Cliffs, which form part of the white cliffs of Dover, on the 19th June, the Secretary of State and the National Trust’s Director General Fiona Reynolds explored some of the issues involving access to the internationally famous white cliffs site. Fiona Reynolds said, “We welcome this proposal to improve access to England’s coast. The coastal corridors approach is an innovative way to integrate the needs of wildlife, local people and the demands of a constantly changing coastline that is increasingly impacted by sea level rise and climate change. The coastal corridors concept is a positive step towards improving access to the coast and its management, ensuring that millions of people continue to enjoy its unique beauty and wildlife”.

This new government scheme sits well with the National Trust’s own policy of increasing access to England’s coastline. Being the country’s largest owner of coastal land it has for over a hundred years pursued a policy of allowing the public to visit, use and enjoy the beautiful coast. Over seven hundred miles of England’s, Wales and Northern Ireland’s coast is now in the care of the Trust. They own five hundred miles in England including large stretches in Devon and Cornwall, the Northumberland and Yorkshire coasts and the well known Jurassic coast in the county of Dorset.