Schedule 20
Marine and Coastal Access Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Andrew George (St Ives, Liberal Democrat)
As the hon. Member for Newbury has said, I suspect we are in our final sitting. It is a great pity that the hon. Member for East Devon is not here. The hon. Member for Newbury has done a good job of setting out the basis for what I am sure that the Minister will acknowledge is a substantial issue. However, I had hoped that the hon. Member for East Devon would set out the argument with examples from his constituency and add to some of the scenarios painted by the hon. Member for Newbury.
Even after the coastal path has been identified and agreed, coastal erosion will inevitably result in a further requirement to decide its route in coming decades. The implication for landowners—in my constituency, for example, there is a non-profit distributing trust that runs a recreational facility, including a golf club—is that where there will be a substantial amount of coastal erosion over the next 20 or 30 years, the coastal path will inevitably take up sections of what is currently well-used land. That may result in significant compromises to the facilities that the golf club can offer. Clearly that issue needs to be considered further.
This debate on compensation is needed fully to understand the consequences for businesses whose viability will be adversely affected by the coastal path. Where the issue of compensation is raised, it may help the process of negotiation. Natural England might be prepared to compromise a little more reasonably over a reasonable request for a diversion in an area where a business would be significantly affected by a coastal path driving its way through an area of quiet tranquillity, where people could otherwise enjoy a private holiday experience. The spectre of compensation itself may ensure that Natural England is prepared to make a reasonable compromise in those circumstances. If compensation were not available I suspect that Natural England might not be prepared to do that. I shall certainly be interested to hear what the Minister has to say.