Memorandum submitted by the Police Service
in England (DMB 48)
This letter offers evidence to the House of
Commons EFRA Committee Inquiry into the Coastal Access provisions
of the Draft Marine Bill. I am Richard Brunstrom, Chief Constable
of North Wales Police and I also speak for the Association of
Chief Police Officers on environmental issues. This submission
may be taken as that of the Police Service in England.
The Police service viewed the introduction of
open access to large areas of the countryside in 2000 with a degree
of concern because of the potential we thought existed for conflict
between land managers and those desiring to exercise their rights
to open access land. I am very pleased to report that in reality
the provisions introduced seem to have resulted in very few problems
and have had little or no impact in terms of Policing. The legislation
also introduced conditions and restrictions on the use of open
access land, breaches of which some felt should be made criminal
offences. Again I am pleased to report that the Police are seldom
asked to intervene in such matters indicating that all sides fully
understand the regime they are working within.
It is therefore my opinion that the manner in
which the right to open access was introduced under the Countryside
and Rights of Way Act worked extremely well. I think it very wise
that the same approach is to be taken in relation to coastal access.
As such the Police service is of the opinion that the introduction
of these provisions is likely to have negligible impact on the
Police service.
An anomaly in relation to open access has become
apparent since its introduction that could apply to coastal areas
as much as it does to other areas of open access land. Within
the coastal areas there will undoubtedly be populations of protected
species that may be subject to persecution for one reason or another.
It does seem rather odd that as the legislation stands those populations
can be monitored by those who wish to do so for recreational purposes
yet the statutory authorities responsible for implementing or
enforcing the law have no means of conducting such monitoring
without the landowners consent. In order to address this anomaly
it would be very beneficial if an amendment to the Countryside
and Rights of Way could be inserted allowing activities that can
be undertaken recreationally by those exercising rights to open
access land to be conducted by statutory authorities on such land
without landowners consent. I would be very happy to expand further
on this issue should the committee or Natural England so desire.
Richard Brunstrom
Chief Constable of North Wales Police
Police Service in England
May 2008
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