Schedule 20
Marine and Coastal Access Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Huw Irranca-Davies (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Marine and Natural Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Ogmore, Labour)
It may be helpful if as well as responding to the stand part debate, I also respond to the substance of the amendments, which were not moved but which are pertinent to the schedule. I appreciate the concerns that the hon. Members for Newbury and for St. Ives have raised. We have articulated them on several occasions in Committee. I make it clear once again that I fully expect that in its determination of the route, Natural England will engage fully with all landowners, businesses, the national parks authorities, local authorities and local access forums to make sure that it is the right route and that local sensitivities are taken into account.
I am very familiar with the caravan park issues, both from my visits around the coast of the east of England and from back home, where I live on the Gower. The Gower was the first designated area of outstanding natural beauty, and there are also caravan parks right on the beach and on the cliff heads. How do we reconcile that? The way to do it is through proper local engagement, taking into account local concerns. The hon. Member for Newbury described a case where an existing path goes slightly inland and up on to the headland, where greater views are afforded of the spectacular coast. It might well be that in discussion with the landowner, Natural England said, “That’s a darn fine route. Let’s keep it as that.” On the other hand, there might be a significant amount of shore frontage or spreading room at the front. I know of caravan parks where there is less than a metre between the caravan and the shoreline. There are others with immense spreading room out to the front. It comes to down to very good local engagement and input, and discussions with the landowners to find the most appropriate route. That is what I expect to see happening.
The hon. Gentleman talked about restrictions in relation to nesting birds. Again, the flexibility that is provided in the Bill means that the best solution can be found. He is right to say, curiously, that it might be an occasion where a local business will say that it does not want the area closed, because it wants the public to come along and spend money in, for example, a cafĂ(c) or a bed and breakfast. That is where the environmental aspect comes in. We do not want to see nesting grounds of birds disturbed.
That is why the Bill’s approach of local determination and flexibility is right, rather than having the man in Whitehall or even the Natural England adviser sitting in London making a determination. That is not the way it should work. It should be about walking the route and engaging with landowners, conservation groups and shooting and angling interests that say they must have protection for a nesting ground during certain months. That is where this approach can really work. The hon. Member for St. Ives is right to say that if the hon. Member for East Devon had been here he would have painted lots of pictures of his local examples. Local examples can include the exceptions where difficulties have to be worked through, or the numerous cases where the process already works successfully. They paint a picture of how it can work and where the difficulties can be overcome.
I think I know the local golf club mentioned by the hon. Member for St. Ives. I am not a golfer but I have visited his constituency on holiday and I am pretty sure I know the one he referred to. That will undoubtedly be in one of those areas where these challenges are most acute, where there is coastal squeeze—not only from a coastal path but from coastal erosion, increased storminess, floods and rising sea levels. At the same time there are restrictions causing coastal squeeze on the other side, such as highways and the location of roads. When dealing with these issues, there is an ask, as I have said before, for local authorities to engage their planning powers to ensure that the caravan park, golf course or anything else has a valuable future when confronted with the coastal path and other pressures, both seaward and landward.