King Charles III England Coast Path: how a new stretch is established
Published 8 October 2014
Applies to England
Natural England will follow a 5 stage process to open a new stretch of the King Charles III England Coast Path.
Stage 1: Prepare
Initial preparations will begin for the implementation of a new stretch. Natural England will:
- define the extent of the stretch
- ask key organisations about their ideas or concerns about the stretch
- consider the current public access use and the options for the route
Stage 2: Develop
At this stage, Natural England will:
- speak with local landowners and other legal interests on land that may be affected to:
- ask for views on where they think the route should go
- offer to ‘walk the course’ and explain initial ideas
- discuss any local issues that might need to be addressed
- speak with relevant organisations to make sure that any important sensitive features are protected
Stage 3: Propose
Natural England will finalise proposals for the King Charles III England Coast Path on this stretch and publish them in a report to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Stage 4: Determine
After the report has been published, there’s an opportunity to comment on the proposals. At this time:
- anyone who wishes to comment can make a representation on the report
- owners or occupiers can submit an objection relating to particular aspects of the proposals
See the guidance about how to comment for more information.
Once the period to comment on the proposals has ended, the Secretary of State will decide whether to approve the proposals in Natural England’s report. When making a decision, any representations or objections that have been submitted will be considered along with the recommendations from the Planning Inspectorate.
Stage 5: Open
The Secretary of State approves the route of the King Charles III England Coast Path on this stretch.
Preparations are then made on the ground and the necessary legal paperwork is completed. Once complete, the new public rights of access will come into force on the stretch.
Further information
See the coastal access scheme for more information about this process.