The green whistleblower : Munxar... out of the public reach

Abstract

The Structure Plan solemnly promised that "public access around the coastline immediately adjacent to the sea or at the top of cliffs (including in bays, harbours, and creeks) will be secured. This will include taking shorelands into public ownership, Government acquisition of illegal developments and encroachments, and suitable construction works. In the few cases where this is not practical (for example where security considerations are paramount), nearby detours will be established. All the coastline will be brought into public ownership within a specified period". Although this promise was made 16 years ago, the authorities have taken no action whatsoever to implement it - rather, they have hardly batted an eyelid as the 'privatisation' of our coastline continued apace. The Structure Plan was moulded back in 1991 mainly on the template provided by UK planning legislation - no wonder that the second largest owner of the British coastline is the National Trust, which owns a staggering 1,130 km (or 11 per cent) of the UK coastline. In fact, the National Trust purchases, protects, manages and opens to the public large swathes of Britain's natural and cultural heritage.