England Coast Path: Weybourne to Hunstanton
Find out about the progress of improving coastal access – including maps, process and timing – in Norfolk.
Map of the stretch
Natural England has begun to investigate how to improve coastal access along a 60 km stretch of the Norfolk coast between Weybourne and Hunstanton.
Officers from Norfolk County Council are providing Natural England with expert local advice and helping to make sure there is full consultation with local interests during the development of the route.
The route is expected to follow the Norfolk Coast Path National Trail where this meets everyone’s needs, but there is scope to vary this where necessary.
Stage of progress
Stage 4: Determine
On Wednesday 21 March 2018, Natural England submitted a report to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs setting out the proposals for improved access to the Norfolk coast between Weybourne and Hunstanton.
The period for making formal representations and objections about the report closed at midnight on 16 May 2018. The report is still available to view.
Objections will be forwarded for consideration to an independent planning inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. The inspector will make recommendations to the Secretary of State in respect of each one.
Natural England may not make any further changes to the report as a result of the representations and objections, but will make comments about them for consideration by the Secretary of State and, in the case of objections, the appointed person (an inspector from the Planning Inspectorate).
The Secretary of State will consider all the representations and objections before making a decision about Natural England’s report.
Next steps
Stage 5: Open
Once the Secretary of State has approved the report, Natural England will start work with Norfolk County Council on preparing the route for public use.
The first step will be to contact owners and occupiers of the affected land to discuss the design and location of any new infrastructure which is required such as signs and gates.
When preparations are complete, new access rights will be brought into force along the route and adjoining spreading room.
Find out more about the England Coast Path
See information about all stretches in preparation around England’s coast.
The coastal access scheme gives details of the process being followed to improve access to the coast.
Contact the coastal access team
Contact Natural England for any comments, suggestions or queries about improving coastal access.
Email: eastcoastalaccess@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0208 026 1753
England Coast Path Team
Natural England
Eastbrook
Shaftesbury Road
Cambridge
CB2 8DR
See the map below for information about progress on improving coastal access in other parts of the east of England.
Last updated 3 June 2019 + show all updates
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Removed the sentence giving a date for when access is expected to be ready.
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Access now expected to be ready in 2020.
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Page updated to show stretch is now at stage 4.
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Change to expected date of access from 2016 to 2018. Change to expected date of report submitted to Secretary of State from 'early 2016' to spring 2017.
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Updated text for work on stretch reaching 'stage 2: develop'.
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First published.