Memorandum submitted by CTC—The
National Cyclists Organisation (DMB 61)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. CTC supports the proposal to enact legislation
to provide an access corridor along the English coast, and is
reassured by the undertaking that any current higher rights will
not be affected.
2. CTC wishes to address the issue listed
in the circular published 24 April 2008:
Whether there should be access rights for other
users such as cyclists and horse riders
3. CTC believes that as a minimum requirement
there should be a duty to consider access by cyclists and equestrians
between suitable access points (roads or tracks) unless constrained
by overriding safety, environmental or land management issues.
4. CTC considers the current Natural England
proposal to be unnecessarily restrictive over the potential for
equestrian and cycle access, and urges committee members to encourage
provision for appropriate access for these non motorised users.
5. CTC accepts the comment that:
"a blanket right of access for horseriders
and cyclists would not be appropriate".
It is agreed that exposed clifftop situations
and those where the corridor is narrow or involves features such
as rock steps would not be appropriate for broader access.
6. Flat and undulating coasts such as are
found along the eastern seaboard from Essex to Lincolnshire and
beyond are eminently suitable for shared use—and indeed
some such paths do already exist without problems occurring.
7. Walkers currently enjoy access to some
70% of the 3,000km of English coastline, while cyclists and equestrians
are confined to a lowly 3% (90km), of which half is under water
at high tide. This Bill provides an opportunity to address this
inequality.
8. CTC is concerned that the Natural England
conclusion that "coastal access is not likely to be achieved
by voluntary means" suggests that Natural England accepts
that cyclists and equestrians are unlikely to gain significant
access by this means.
9. Experienced gained on shared route paths
such as bridleways, byways, Forestry Commission trails and Sustrans
promoted railtrails has shown that pedestrian cycle and equestrian
traffic can coexist—a conclusion that was supported in the
Countryside Agency Research Note CRN32 "How people react
on off—road routes".
10. CTC notes that concerns that greater
use of the countryside by equestrians and cyclists will lead to
unacceptable environmental damage were largely dismissed by the
1995 House of Commons Environment Committee report "The Environmental
Impact of Leisure Activities".
11. CTC notes that the Wales Coastal Access
Improvement Programme and the Scottish Assembly Land Reform Act
both include access to the coast for cyclists and equestrians
in addition to walkers, suggesting that multi access is not only
desirable—but also deliverable.
12. CTC, the national cyclists" organisation,
was founded in 1878. CTC has 70,000 members and supporters, provides
a range of information and legal services to cyclists, organises
cycling events, and represents the interests of cyclists and cycling
on issues of public policy.
13. CTC would welcome the opportunity to
provide oral evidence in support of the above.
MAIN SUBMISSION
1. CTC supports the proposal to enact legislation
to provide an access corridor along the English coast and is reassured
by the undertaking that any current higher rights will not be
affected.
2. However, CTC questions the validity of
the apparent presumption against use by cyclist and equestrians.
The Defra website "Access to the English
Coast—Frequently Asked Questions" states:
5. Is the new right of access just for
walkers?
We asked Natural England to look primarily
at access for people on foot. The coast is a complex environment
and a blanket right of access for horseriders and cyclists would
not be appropriate. Under Natural England's recommendation, opportunities
can be taken at a local level to provide access for other users,
such as horse riders and cyclists, through agreements with landowners.
CTC considers this statement to be unnecessarily
restrictive over the potential for equestrian and cycle access,
and urges committee members to encourage provision for appropriate
access for these non motorised users.
3. CTC accepts the comment that:
"a blanket right of access for horseriders
and cyclists would not be appropriate".
It is agreed that exposed clifftop situations
as well as those where the corridor is narrow or involves features
such as rock steps would not be appropriate for broader access.
Flat and undulating coasts such as are found
along the eastern seaboard from Essex to Lincolnshire and beyond
are eminently suitable for shared use—and indeed some such
paths do already exist without problems occurring.
4. Walkers currently enjoy access to some
70% of the 3,000km of English coastline, while cyclists and equestrians
are confined to a lowly 3% (90km), of which half is under water
at high tide.
5. CTC is concerned that the statement that:
"Under Natural England's recommendation,
opportunities can be taken at a local level to provide access
for other users, such as horse riders and cyclists, through agreements
with landowners".
— appears to contradict the Natural
England conclusion that coastal access is not likely to be achieved
by voluntary means—suggesting that Natural England is aware
that cyclists and equestrians are unlikely to gain significant
further access through voluntary agreements.
6. Experienced gained on shared route paths
such as bridleways, byways, Forestry Commission trails and Sustrans
promoted railtrails has shown that pedestrian cycle and equestrian
traffic can coexist.
This conclusion was supported in the Countryside
Agency Research Note CRN32 "How People interact on Off-Road
Routes which found that:
"When people gather together to talk about
conflict, they talk it up, and their recollection of other users
they met while on the route escalates. Their perceptions of conflict
were much higher than that actually experienced.
7. Concerns that greater use of the countryside
by equestrians and cyclists will lead to unacceptable environmental
damage have been rejected by a number of studies.
The concern was largely dismissed by the 1995
House of Commons Environment Committee report "The Environmental
Impact of Leisure Activities" which noted in paragraph 33
(about all countryside recreation—but including off-road
cycling).
"... cultural conflicts are just as real
as, and sometimes more important than the physical problems—indeed
they are often the root cause of the various tensions and dissatisfactions
that are redefined as threats to the environment".
In addition, the Press Release of 20th July
1995 accompanying the report noted that:
"the ability of people to enjoy all forms
of leisure appropriate to the countryside should not be constrained
unless there are pressing reasons for restricting that activity".
CTC believes that much of the coastal corridor
is suitable for use by off-road cyclists and urges the Committee
to reassess the potential for such provision.
8. CTC notes that the Wales Coastal Access
Improvement Programme funded by the Welsh Assembly Government
and co-ordinated by CCW allocated £15 million in 2007-08:
"to improve access on foot, horse and pedal
cycle ... in consultation with local stakeholders".
CTC further notes that the Scottish Assembly
Land Reform Act which was produced under the leadership of Scottish
Natural Heritage also includes access to the coast for cyclists
and equestrians in addition to walkers.
These precedents do suggest that multi access
is not only desirable—but is deliverable also.
9. Options for Shared coastal access for walkers,
cyclists and equestrians
CTC believes that there are four options which
could be considered to provide access for all non-motorised users.
(a) Unrestricted coastal corridor open to
all users.
(b) Coastal corridor open to all users unless
constrained by unacceptable hazards to users and others.
(c) A duty to consider shared use access
between suitable access points (roads or tracks) with access permitted
unless constrained by overriding safety, environmental or land
management issues.
(d) A robust approach to voluntary agreements
supported by financial or other incentives to landowners.
Of these options, we would strongly favour the
adoption of (b) or (c), but accepting that (c) probably offers
the most pragmatic solution.
10. Conclusion
CTC supports the proposal to create an English
coastal access corridor through legislation and urges Parliament
to include appropriate provision for cyclists and equestrians
to equate with Welsh and Scottish provision.
CTC, the national cyclists' organisation, was
founded in 1878. CTC has 70,000 members and supporters, provides
a range of information and legal services to cyclists, organises
cycling events, and represents the interests of cyclists and cycling
on issues of public policy.
Colin Palmer
CTC The National Cyclists Organisation
May 2008
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