The coast at Doniford, where a new bridge will be built. Photo: Barbara Cook CC-BY-SA-2.0
The latest stretch of the English coastal path has been given the go-ahead.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs approved 90km (56 miles) of the route in Somerset.
Work will now begin on the path, which will eventually form part of the England Coast Path, which is planned to cover the whole of the nation’s shoreline.
Natural England, the Government’s outdoors advisory body, said Somerset County Council’s rights of way team will now lead the work to prepare this new stretch of coast path for public use. Its first step is to contact owners and occupiers to finalise the design and location of items such as signs and gates.
This will include a new footbridge at Doniford to provide a safe crossing over the Swill. New access rights will begin once the route has been established and any necessary works have been completed.
The path will be able to ‘roll back’ if cliffs erode or slip, enabling a replacement route to be put in place quickly if necessary, helping to maintain a continuous route along the coast.
Natural England said, as well as enabling visitors to enjoy new parts of Somerset’s coastline, improved access will help to support local economies by attracting visitors to explore the coastline, and boosting business for local shops, pubs and hotels.
Environment minister Dan Rogerson said: “We have already helped thousands of people better enjoy our spectacular coastline, and this new stretch will bring more tourists to the area, building a stronger local economy.
“Opening up access to our coastline benefits everyone which is why we are rolling it out further.”
James Diamond, Natural England’s area manager for Somerset, said: “We are delighted the route has been given the green light and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved in the preparations, as their significant knowledge and expertise has been invaluable.
“We have worked closely with a wide range of local interests in developing the proposals and we now look forward to putting the route in place for everyone to enjoy.”
Natural England is currently working on coastal access in several other locations around the country: in Cumbria, Dorset, Kent, north-east England, Norfolk and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
