The CLA today (25 September) slammed the Government’s refusal to accept two parliamentary committees’ views on coastal access – denying landowners the chance to appeal against the new right of public access being imposed over their land. The Government rejected the Efra Committee’s finding that the “lack of a formal appeal process is a fundamental weakness” of the draft Marine Bill. An appeals system had also been recommended by the Joint House of Lords and House of Commons Committee. However, today the Government declared it did not feel an “appeals process would be appropriate”. CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: “It is absurd, unjust and unfair that the Government has rejected an independent right of appeal on the spurious grounds that the cost of all the appeals against the right to roam introduced in 2000 was disproportionably ‘lengthy and expensive’. “In fact, two thirds of all appeals against the right to roam were successful. It is ridiculous the Government now seems to assume its system is infallible.” The CLA President said: “Despite refusing a right of appeal, the Government also ruled out compensation for rural businesses and landowners who could prove they had lost out financially because of the new right of coastal access. It is hard to equate this approach with a Government that repeatedly claims ‘fairness’ is its calling card. There is precious little in the way of concessions in its response to pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation to the draft Marine Bill.”

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2 October 2008
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