The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth) Order 2025
This Order, made by the Secretary of State under powers granted by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, officially sets December 17, 2025, as the date when the access preparation period ends for the land designated as coastal margin along the England Coast Path section between Combe Martin and Marsland Mouth, based on previously approved reports and proposals.
Arguments For
Establishes clear access rights for the public along a defined section of the England Coast Path, fulfilling the objectives of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
Provides certainty for landowners and public users by formally setting the end date for the 'access preparation period', allowing management and usage to proceed to the next statutory phase.
Relies on pre-approved reports (the 'relevant reports' and 'relevant approvals') which involved extensive consultation, meaning the specific route and margin have already been vetted.
Authorizes this action via existing powers under section 3A(10) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, ensuring procedural consistency with established legislation.
Arguments Against
The definition of the 'coastal margin' may introduce new access points or constraints onto private land, potentially affecting land management practices and property use over the designated sections.
The Order relies on preparatory documents from 2017 and 2021/2023; there is a possibility that unforeseen environmental or practical changes since those reports were finalized may complicate access implementation.
The Order waives the need for a new impact assessment because previous assumptions from the 2009 Act’s assessment were used, which might not fully capture the specific localized impact of this finalization order.
Local stakeholders who might have objections to the specific 'coastal margin' definitions or the path alignment, having missed the primary consultation windows, only have this Order as a final legal mechanism for challenge.
The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 3A(10) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
The responsible government official, the Secretary of State, issues this formal directive using authority given by Section 3A(10) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Citation and commencement and interpretation
1.—
(1) This Order may be cited as the Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth) Order 2025 and comes into force on the day after the day on which it is made.
(2) In this Order—
“the Act” means the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949;
“the relevant approvals” means the approval, by the Secretary of State under section 52(1) of the Act of the proposals contained in the—
(a) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM1, Combe Martin Beach to Seven Hills, Ilfracombe report on 13th January 2021;
(b) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM2, Seven Hills, Ilfracombe to Woolacombe report on 13th January 2021;
(c) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM3, Woolacombe to Cock Rock, Croyde report on 13th January 2021;
(d) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM4, Cock Rock, Croyde to Velator report on 23rd November 2023;
(e) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM5, Velator to Taw Bridge, Barnstaple report on 13th January 2021;
(f) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM6, Taw Bridge, Barnstaple to Bideford Long Bridge report on 13th January 2021;
(g) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM7, Bideford Long Bridge to Westward Ho! report on 13th January 2021;
(h) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM8, Westward Ho! to Barton Wood report on 23rd November 2023;
(i) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM9, Barton Wood to Hartland Point report on 13th January 2021;
(j) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM10, Hartland Point to Marsland Mouth report on 13th January 2021.
“the relevant reports” means the reports submitted by Natural England to the Secretary of State under sections 51 and 55A of the Act on 19th July 2017 entitled—
(a) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM1, Combe Martin Beach to Seven Hills, Ilfracombe;
(b) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM2, Seven Hills, Ilfracombe to Woolacombe;
(c) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM3, Woolacombe to Cock Rock, Croyde;
(d) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM4, Cock Rock, Croyde to Velator;
(e) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM5, Velator to Taw Bridge, Barnstaple;
(f) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM6, Taw Bridge, Barnstaple to Bideford Long Bridge;
(g) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM7, Bideford Long Bridge to Westward Ho!;
(h) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM8, Westward Ho! to Barton Wood;
(i) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM9, Barton Wood to Hartland Point;
(j) England Coast Path Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth CMM10, Hartland Point to Marsland Mouth.
This clause establishes the name of the Order, which is the Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth) Order 2025.
It begins the day immediately following its official date of making.
Definitions are provided for key terms used throughout the legislation. 'The Act' refers to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, which forms the legal basis for coastal access.
'The relevant approvals' lists ten specific reports concerning segments (CMM1 through CMM10) of the England Coast Path route between Combe Martin and Marsland Mouth that the Secretary of State formally endorsed in 2021 and 2023.
'The relevant reports' are the ten reports submitted by the organization Natural England to the Secretary of State in July 2017, which proposed the coastal access route segments.
End of access preparation period
- In relation to land which is coastal margin, as a result of the relevant approvals of the proposals contained in the relevant reports, the day appointed as the day on which the access preparation period ends, is 17th December 2025.
This article sets a specific date for the conclusion of the 'access preparation period' for land that has become designated as coastal margin.
This designation results from the approvals given regarding the proposed coastal path route.
The specified end date for this preparatory phase is set as December 17, 2025, making the subsequent access rights and management obligations effective from the day following this date (or as otherwise determined by the governing legislation).
Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
10th December 2025
This indicates the signing authority for the Order: a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Lord Hayman of Ullock, acting on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The Order was formally signed on December 10, 2025.