By Margaret Crosby

Last updated at 12:35, Thursday, 17 May 2012

LANDOWNERS have branded plans for a new coastal footpath linking Whitehaven with Allonby, a “waste of money”.

The Country Land & Business Association (CLA) in the North West hit out at the ambitious scheme – but the national walkers charity, the Ramblers, welcomed it.

The proposals for an improved path along the coastline went out for public consultation on May 10, marking the first stages of the England Coast Path in the North West, a project set in motion by the Marine & Coastal Access Act 2009.

Natural England will set out proposals for an enhanced walking route to be created along the 36km of coast to provide greater access for local residents and visitors where they can walk, rest and admire the view. The route would run close to some of Cumbria’s most populated areas and pass through a variety of coastal habitats and cliff scenery.

The landowners’ association has argued that the Cumbrian part of the Natural England project, which forms part of efforts to open up a further 190 miles of coast to walkers, is a “highly questionable use of public money because so much of the coast is already accessible”.

CLA North regional director Dorothy Fairburn said: “Natural England’s own figures state that more than four-fifths of the coast is already accessible to the public. Of the remaining 16 per cent, only half could be accessed, because ports, harbours, military bases or sites of crucial conservation cover the other half.”

She said that in times when the government is trying to cut public expenditure, it was misguided to spend millions on such a project.

Meanwhile the Ramblers organisation, whose One Coast for All campaign has urged the government to keep its promise of creating an English coastal path, thinks it is “fantastic news’’.

Nicky Philpott, its director of policy and campaigns, said: “It is a major leap forward for us and for all walkers. As citizens of an island nation, the British public is passionate about their coast and are drawn to it.”

The organisation is running a petition to illustrate support for coastal walking and the need for access.

Draft proposals for the Cumbrian coastal path project, which also include the stretch from Whitehaven to Silecroft, are available online at www.naturalengland.org.uk/coastalaccess.

Natural England and Cumbria County Council have met landowners and farmers to ‘walk the course’ and discuss where the new route could go.

Draft proposals are open for public consultation and Natural England invites comments from all interested parties.

Copies of the plans and comment forms are available online as above and displayed at libraries and tourist information centres along the stretch.

The public consultation period closes on August 3.

First published at 11:10, Thursday, 17 May 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk