Coastal path scheme takes step backwards amid spending cuts

Plans drawn up under Labour to complete the coastal path in ten years at a cost of 50m have been set back, with East Riding of Yorkshire Council refusing to take part as a pilot area and other councils ordered to reduce the "scale and scope" of work in their area.

The proposed path had infuriated landowners who were denied any compensation for where it would cross their property and the stretch in this region was among the most controversial because the rapidly eroding coastline would make it difficult to find a suitable route.

Natural England, the agency in charge of building the path, insists it has not been shelved altogether but admits it will not know how much of its initial vision will be completed until after the Comprehensive Spending Review is completed in autumn.

Although work on the first stretch – 14 miles near Weymouth, in Dorset – will continue, a five per cent cut in the agency's budget has prompted work in five other areas – East Riding, Cumbria, Somerset, Kent and Norfolk – to be cut back.

But East Riding Council has given Natural England an extra headache by branding the 50m cost "inappropriate" in the current economic climate and asking to withdraw from being a pilot area. Councillors say the work would cost 330,000 in East Riding alone.

There is further pressure for the agency to accept the scheme – which supporters say could bring in millions of pounds to the economy by attracting more visitors – is no longer affordable as the Government tackles the budget deficit because landowners risk having their land blighted while the threat of the path crossing their land hangs over them.

Dorothy Fairburn, regional director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: "No one can make long-term plans on what to do with their land when the right of public access is looming. It makes business planning impossible. This is completely unacceptable, particularly at a time when all businesses should be free to prosper."

She added: "According to Natural England's own figures, 84 per cent of the coast is already accessible to the public. Of the remaining 16 per cent, eight per cent will remain inaccessible because it is covered by ports, military bases and so on.

"Spending 50m of public money on a scheme to provide access to a mere eight per cent of the coast in this time of austerity is clearly unjustified. The CLA believes access can best be provided on a local and voluntary basis."

Powers to build the path were granted last year in the Marine and Coastal Access Act and are strongly backed by rambling organisations but work has yet to begin.

Some areas of England, such as the south-west, already benefit from existing paths but experts found nearly 1,000 miles of coastline – including private gardens, public parks, beaches, farms and clifftops – would need to be opened up to complete the route.

Last week East Riding councillors decided the authority "should not enter into arrangements for it to become a pilot for the scheme" and agreed to write to the Government "requesting for the whole scheme be scrapped".

A Natural England spokesman said: "Five local authorities (Cumbria, East Riding of Yorkshire, Somerset, Kent and Norfolk) are involved in the implementation of the first phases of the roll out of the All England Coastal Path. Work at the Weymouth stretch of the coast path is continuing but the five local authorities have been informed that the scale and scope of the initial roll out in their areas will need to be reduced to accommodate the reductions in this year's budget.

"It is incorrect to say that the coastal access project has been shelved and the availability of funding for a wider rollout of coastal access schemes will become clearer following the Comprehensive Spending Review process expected to be completed this autumn."