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The Prosser Perspective.... a weekly column from Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser

21 June 2007

There are many great footpaths and byways around England’s long coastline but I’m sure that the overwhelming vote of readers would place the Langdon Cliffs and the coastal path to St Margaret’s Bay which runs above the famous White Cliffs of Dover at the very top of any league table – and that’s been my view ever since my wife and I first walked the cliff edge path with our young family nearly 30 years ago.

It’s like a living thing, welcomingly warm and calm on mid-summer days and wickedly wild in mid-winter with storm force winds sucking your breath away. And whatever the weather - the views are second to none.

During my ten years in Parliament, I’ve never missed an opportunity to share Dover’s many attributes with other MPs and over the years I’ve been pleased to welcome dozens of Parliamentary colleagues down to White Cliffs Country including Tony Blair, John Prescott and just about the whole of the rest of the Government's front Bench.

This week I was delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for the Environment, David Milliband and the Minister for Rural Affairs, Barry Gardener to Dover to formally launch the Government’s proposals to provide better access to England’s coastal paths - and what better place to do it than high above the White Cliffs.

We should all have free access to the coastline and be able to experience the high clifftops and wide beaches but this has not always been possible in the past. Groups like the Rambler’s Association, which I’ve supported for many years and local campaigning groups have worked tirelessly for improvements and this week’s announcement is a tribute to all that campaigning and marks a major step forward for all of us.

In the last ten years Labour has met its targets in cleaning up our beaches, and opened up the countryside with the introduction of the ground breaking Right to Roam Act - now we are going one step further by opening up our coastline with new proposals to create a coastal path, open to everyone, all the way round our great island.

In our patch we have better access than other regions but even so, over a quarter of our coastline in the South East has no recognised right of access. These proposals will open up every beach; every clifftop and every headland to you and me and the public at large.

We are an island nation. The coast is our birthright and everyone should be able to enjoy it and we want families to have safe and secure access to walk, climb, rock scramble, paddle and play all along our coastline.

The coast is also vitally important for nature conservation and wildlife and for tourism, so our vision for greater freedom and rights for people will take into account the need to safeguard habitats and heritage sites. Improving public access will enrich people’s enjoyment and understanding of the rich and varied seaside landscapes and environments not just here on the White Cliffs but all around the country.