Those looking to walk along the Island’s coast are finding it increasingly difficult to do so as private landowners look to restrict coastal access. There have been several reports recently about landowners or their agents confronting people walking along Island beaches adjacent to shoreline property. Priory Bay and Ryde Roads shorelines have been mentioned as problem areas. Walkers often believe that when the tide is out, they have free access to the King’s beaches. The reality is not as simple: The foreshore between low tide and high tide is privately owned along many stretches of the Island Coast and some landowners do try to deter public access. There are also access restrictions along parts of the coast for safety or conservation reasons. The Land Registry Online Map Search tool will show property boundaries that stretch to the low tide line – landregistry-uk.com. However, many stretches of shoreline are owned by organisations like the Crown Estate, Isle of Wight Council, and the National Trust where access is generally permitted. A useful open-source online map is available that shows Crown Estate-owned foreshore. Fortunately, the King Charles III England Coast Path is being progressively set up around the Isle of Wight Coast. This project will establish open access ‘Spreading Room’ to areas of both land and foreshore along the seaward side of the path. Natural England’s 2013 England Coast Path Scheme provides details of where this will be appropriate. The existing IOW Coast Path Route between East Cowes and Wootton follows four miles of busy inland roads. Clearly this is not fit for a King’s National Trail. Unfortunately, since 2017, Natural England discussions with English Heritage, Norris Castle, and Barton Manor Estates have so far failed to achieve agreement on a suitable coastal route. The KC3 Coast Path has 67 stretches around the English coast. East Cowes to Wootton on the Isle of Wight is the only stretch where there is no existing or proposed coastal access. How much longer do we need to wait before the East Cowes community can enjoy its first public path, a shoreline trail providing access to explore their nearby coast and countryside?
ACCESS TO COASTAL ROUTES ON THE ISLAND BEING MADE DIFFICULT BY PRIVATE LANDOWNERS
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Keeping people off the beaches is for one reason only, the landowners will be bringing in drugs.
Thumbs downs, have I hit the nail on the head then. Looks like it.
That’s a bit too obvious, even the police might twig this. Genuine drug smugglers won’t draw attention to their routes.
Get off my land! If people were normal, few would complain, but wealthy people don’t wish to have unruly dogs, even more unruly manic ill supervise children straying from the private beaches into their private gardens.
They pay not only a lot for their luxury homes with beach front views, but remember they ALSO pay a lot in taxes to fund the breeding, impoverished masses, that will ‘then’ disturb their tranquility with loud transistor radios playing rap music, and lighting bbq’s on their beach, cooking cheap smoking burgers and breaking bottles too.
Keep the poor away from our areas, they have way too many rights now, and think the world owes them a living, which it does not. Take responsibility and the pill imo.
Stuck up scum bag every one should be able to use any beach they want to rich or poor they are here for everyone to enjoy
And your garden then, surely you can’t expect that to be private!
If everyone can walk on their property then we can all walk on yours.
Crack on mate come on round
Barry, I agree the lazy ‘muvers’ can’t even be bothered to pick up their babies nappies and bin them. As people use having a child or several as a means to get a free roof and income, then more of the wrong sort are breeding now.
You are right to keep them at arms length if you legally can.
Is this a rotten joke from an ignoramus? The words wealthy, luxury, tax etc makes you sound like a sow’s ear trying desperately to become a silk purse. Pots of new money breeds contempt.
I suppose it’s encouraging that the discussions are about the routes rather than about allowing the path at all. as i understand the Act of Parliament states that landowners HAVE to allow a certain width of land for a path.
But it does sound as though a certain amount of procrastination is going on (Which is ,of course, the thief of time)
Go at low tide and paddle in the water.
That’s why I’m against Norris’s Castle hotel development. The guy says that after it’s done public will have access to the forest etc. but so far it seems that even now with all the regulations about access to the seaside paths, they can’t come up with agreement with Natural England even for that small piece. Owner doesn’t seem trustworthy about his intentions for public access if current behaviour is any indication.
As an immigrant from the Netherlands, I can’t believe how weak protections for the public to have access to forests, water, green spaces is in this country.
Meanwhile the council is busy introducing new regulations to stop as many people using their cars to visit beaches as possible, as will be seen with the miles of new car banning regulations they are introducing in time for summer – if you want to take your family to the beach, best get walking or start queuing for a bus when you’ve saved up enough for the fare. They want you out of your cars coz net zero
In some countries like Thailand only the King owns the beaches, which prevents hotels and land owners claiming them, and allows full access for the public. Apart from environmentally sensitive or dangerous geographical reasons I believe all the UK coast at low tide should also be open access to the public. For those who think this will lead to a litter strewn mess I haven’t seen too much on existing public beaches like Bembridge, The Duver, Ryde, Yarverland etc.
There are plenty of beaches where you can walk, why not use them? If owners don’t want trespassers on THEIR unkept beach then they ought to fence it in otherwise how are people to know that it’s prvate.