Report (4th Day)

Part of Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL] – in the House of Lords at 4:45 pm on 1 June 2009.

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Photo of Earl Cathcart Earl Cathcart Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government, Shadow Minister, Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Shadow Minister, Scotland 4:45, 1 June 2009

My Lords, in Committee the Minister helpfully raised the question of whether publishing the scheme on the internet was sufficient. I have tabled this probing amendment to give him another opportunity to expand his thoughts. I had hoped to table this probing amendment in relation to the report, rather than the scheme, but the extensive government amendments that we will discuss—and, I hope, accept—later would have pre-empted it.

I remain concerned that the extensive consultation and representation requirements in the Bill, which will do so much to ensure that the route is appropriate for the local situation, will miss the opportunity to hear from those who have a great deal to add to the process, purely because of their ignorance that the whole scheme is taking place at all. Obviously, there is a limit to what Natural England can do to make sure that people who should be informed are informed. The Minister mentioned the incomplete nature of the Land Registry, for example. Local councils, especially parish councils, probably know exactly who owns, or has an interest in, the land in their area.

There is also a perfectly effective precedent in the system, which is used when a planning decision is to be made. Notices are attached to lamp posts and those who will be affected and their neighbours are leafleted or written to, and so on. I hope the Minister can reassure us that this is the model that Natural England will be expected to follow. I also hope that Natural England will inform the parish council of over whose area the path will go. Parish councils will be able not only to make a valuable contribution as to the exact route through their areas but to help with liaison with landowners, especially where there is a gap in the registry.

It seems that the onus should be on Natural England or its agents to notify all—and I underline all—relevant parties interested in the routes, rather than for the onus to be on the landowners to find out what is being proposed for their land. I will be interested to hear how the Minister proposes to achieve this. I beg to move.