MINISTERS CANNOT BULLDOZE THEIR WAY TO NATIONAL COASTAL PATH – TYLER 

Coastal paths should be determined by locally elected councillors, according to former North Cornwall MP, Lord Tyler. 

The House of Lords began consideration of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill this week, which could see residents forced to give up land to make room for extensive coastal paths. Decisions as to where the paths should go, and onto whose land they can encroach, could be left to an unelected quango to decide, if Peers do not make changes to the Bill before it reaches the House of Commons. 

Speaking in the Chamber, Lord Tyler said, “There will be important roles to play for local, elected representatives…Cornwall is now going to be a unitary authority.  There are going to be people there, not only in touch with local opinion on these issues, but with a lot of experience.  If we just sweep that away and say that the quangos will do the work, the legislation will not work.  It will not be bought into by the local communities that are most affected.”

The Liberal Democrat Peer was a spokesman on agriculture when he sat in the House of Commons, and has recently taken up a position on the Lords frontbench, speaking on Rural Affairs. 

Referring to his time as a local MP, he said, “I spent 14 years representing Cornish constituencies, which have some of the most dramatic, fruitful and admired coastlines in the United Kingdom…I am a frequent and enthusiastic walker on the South West Coast path – some 630 miles of coastal path – which, unlike in many other parts of the country, is well established.  My wife and I were among the first to take part in a charity walk last year organised by the excellent regional newspaper the Western Morning News.”

Commenting after the debate, Lord Tyler said,

“There is a lot of work to do on this legislation before it reaches my Liberal Democrat colleagues in the House of Commons, with whom I am working closely. 

“We have a successful coastal path in the South West, which evolved by careful agreement with residents.  We do not need interference from Whitehall. 

“In any event, Ministers cannot carve out a national path in one simple movement of a bulldozer. 

“For schemes like this to work, local people and their representatives must be involved at every stage, so enjoyment of our coastline does not come at the expense of support from residents.”