This Order may be cited as the Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Cremyll to Kingswear) Order 2025 and comes into force on the day after the day on which it is made.
The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Cremyll to Kingswear) Order 2025
Published: Fri 12th Dec 25
This Order, made by the Secretary of State under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, officially appoints December 17th, 2025, as the date when the coastline access preparation period ends for the coastal margin relating to the England Coast Path route between Cremyll and Kingswear.
This date signifies the conclusion of the preparatory phase following the Secretary of State’s approval of specific reports detailing the path segments, thereby establishing definitive public access rights over that coastal margin land.
Arguments For
Designates a specific end date (17th December 2025) for the access preparation period, providing certainty for land management and public use along the defined coastal margin.
Implements the final stage of establishing public access rights along a defined section of the England Coast Path, fulfilling obligations under relevant coastal access legislation.
Ensures that legally mandated processes, involving the approval of specific reports by the Secretary of State, are formally concluded for this segment, allowing for the full commencement of public rights.
Arguments Against
Imposes new access rights or restrictions on private land by setting the termination of the preparation period, potentially impacting existing land use without new, specific compensation assessments for this Order.
The required administrative procedures leading up to this Order (the submission and approval of numerous detailed reports) represent a significant bureaucratic undertaking that could delay wider coastal access implementation.
Although based on prior impact assessments for the parent Act (Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009), this specific Order finalizes the local implementation, which may have unforeseen local practical or management consequences that were not fully addressed in the broader assessment.
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[^1].
The Secretary of State formally issues this legal instrument utilizing authority granted under section 3A(10) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Citation and commencement and interpretation1.
(1)
(2)
In this Order—
“the Act” means the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949[^2];
“the relevant approvals” means the approval, by the Secretary of State[^3] under section 52(1) of the Act[^4] of the proposals contained in the—
(a)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW1, Cremyll to Mount Batten Point report on 6th March 2024;
(b)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW2, Mount Batten Point to Yealm Estuary report on 13th January 2021;
(c)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW3, Yealm Estuary report on 13th January 2021;
(d)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW4, Yealm Estuary to Mothecombe Beach report on 13th January 2021;
(e)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW5, Mothecombe Beach to the Avon Estuary report on 23rd November 2023;
(f)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW6, Avon Estuary report on 13th January 2021;
(g)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW7, Avon Estuary to Kingsbridge Estuary report on 13th January 2021;
(h)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW8, Kingsbridge Estuary to Torcross report on 13th January 2021;
(i)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW9, Torcross to Kingswear report on 23rd November 2023.
“the relevant reports” means the reports submitted by Natural England to the Secretary of State under sections 51 and 55A of the Act[^5] on 9th December 2020 [^6] entitled—
(a)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW1, Cremyll to Mount Batten Point;
(b)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW2, Mount Batten Point to Yealm Estuary;
(c)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW3, Yealm Estuary;
(d)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW4, Yealm Estuary to Mothecombe Beach;
(e)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW5, Mothecombe Beach to the Avon Estuary;
(f)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW6, Avon Estuary;
(g)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW7, Avon Estuary to Kingsbridge Estuary;
(h)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW8, Kingsbridge Estuary to Torcross;
(i)
England Coast Path Cremyll to Kingswear CKW9, Torcross to Kingswear.
Article 1 specifies the short title, commencement details, and definitions necessary for interpreting the Order.
The Order is named the Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Cremyll to Kingswear) Order 2025 and takes effect the day after it is officially made.
Key definitions establish that "the Act" refers to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. "The relevant approvals" are defined as the Secretary of State's formal agreement under section 52(1) of the Act regarding nine separate reports detailing proposals for the England Coast Path from Cremyll to Kingswear, with report dates ranging from 2021 to 2024.
"The relevant reports" are the nine reports submitted by Natural England to the Secretary of State in December 2020 under sections 51 and 55A of the Act, which correspond directly to the nine segments mentioned in the approvals section.
End of access preparation period2.
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[^7] ends, is 17th December 2025.
Article 2 sets the critical date concerning the establishment of public access rights for the defined coastal margin land.
This land becomes subject to coastal access rights following the relevant approvals of the proposals detailed in the specified reports.
The appointed day for the access preparation period to end is set as December 17th, 2025.
This date marks the finalization of legal requirements necessary for the public access provisions to take full effect along this stretch of coastline.
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