Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Historic Houses Association (DMB 66a)
SUPPLEMENTARY COMMENTS FOLLOWING NATURAL
ENGLAND'S ORAL EVIDENCE
The HHA is deeply concerned about Natural England's
stated desire (oral evidence session 4 June 2008) to this inquiry
to remove the exemption on parks and gardens. The HHA, which represents
historic houses and gardens in private ownership, will wish to
resist any moves to dilute the Bill's safeguards to protect people's
privacy, security and enjoyment of their own property. The HHA
had welcomed the assurances that the land identified in Schedule
1 to the CROW Act will be excepted land for the purposes of coastal
margin and this includes land used as a park or garden.
Natural England suggested to the Committee that
they required access through parks and gardens in order to deliver
coastal access whilst at the same time acknowledging that existing
mechanisms were already in place to secure this. This strengthens
the HHA's argument that effective measures already exist to deliver
improved coastal access and which achieve this responsively to
local needs and people's specific demands.
The HHA believes there is a need for a proper
impact assessment in order to ascertain how people's privacy and
security are likely to be affected and for an independent appeal
system to ensure that the interests of the business and private
property owner are weighed against the public interest, and to
ensure that this can be tested.
Historic Houses Association
May 2008
| 
