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New clauses to the Marine and Coastal Access Bill passed through Parliament and the House of Lords has bought a round-England coastal path a step closer.
Now places previously out of bounds to walkers including many private links golf courses are expected to cause a few headaches with the introduction of the Bill as law this week and which is expected to release hundreds of miles of coastal pathways.
The MaCA Bill contains plans for creating a continuous coastal path round England and Wales within the next decade, which has angered many landowners, while golf courses may have to re-adjust their health and safety rules to meet the legislation.
Currently, according to the Ramblers Association which has been campaigning for the Bill, there is no satisfactory or legally secure access to 34% of the English coast.
In the North West, home to some of the most famous links courses, including Royal Birkdale, Formby, Hoylake and Royal Lytham and St Annes, this figure rises to over half the coast (56%) - a statistic which the Ramblers believe is 'shocking' when considered that no point in England is further than 72 miles from the coast.
