The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe) (No. 2) Order 2026
Set 2nd October 2026 as the commencement date for new public access rights on segments of the Dorset coast path.
This Order establishes 2nd October 2026 as the date on which public access rights commence for specific sections of the England Coast Path between Kimmeridge Bay and Highcliffe.
It applies to land designated as coastal margin within the Sandbanks to Southbourne and Mudeford Quay to Chewton Bunny segments, as detailed in reports LCH5 and LCH7.
The Order effectively ends the 'access preparation period,' transitioning the land into a status where the public has a legal right of access for recreation under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Arguments For
The order fulfills the statutory requirements of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 to establish a continuous long-distance walking route around the English coast.
Proponents state that the order provides legal certainty by defining the exact date on which the 'access preparation period' ends, thereby triggering public access rights to the coastal margin.
The document cites two specific reports (LCH5 and LCH7) previously approved by the Secretary of State as the basis for these new access rights.
The government asserts that the impact of this order was previously accounted for in the impact assessment for the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
Arguments Against
Property owners within the affected coastal margin may have concerns regarding the proximity of public access to private land and the potential for increased foot traffic.
Implementation difficulties may arise if physical signage or boundary markers are not completed by the 2nd October 2026 deadline established by the order.
Local authorities may face increased maintenance and liability costs associated with managing new stretches of the England Coast Path.
The scope of 'coastal margin' can be complex, potentially leading to confusion among the public and landowners regarding which specific areas are open to access and which remain excepted land.
Citation, commencement and interpretation
- -(1) This Order may be cited as the Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe) (No. 2) Order 2026 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 approval' means the approval, by the Secretary of State under section 52(1) of the Act of each of the proposals contained in the-
- (a) England Coast Path Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe LCH5 Sandbanks to Southbourne report on 6th April 2022;
- (b) England Coast Path Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe LCH7 Mudeford Quay to Chewton Bunny report on 6th April 2022.
'the relevant reports' means the reports submitted by Natural England to the Secretary of State under sections 51 and 55A of the Act on 21st June 2017 entitled-
- (a) England Coast Path Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe LCH5, Sandbanks to Southbourne;
- (b) England Coast Path Kimmeridge Bay to Highcliffe LCH7, Mudeford Quay to Chewton Bunny.
This section provides the official name of the order and establishes that it takes legal effect on 2nd October 2026.
It defines key terms used in the document, specifically identifying the two Natural England reports and the Secretary of State's prior approvals that determine the geographic scope of the coastal access.
These reports cover the stretches from Sandbanks to Southbourne and Mudeford Quay to Chewton Bunny.
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 2nd October 2026.
This section designates 2nd October 2026 as the final day of the 'access preparation period' for the specified coastal land.
The end of this period is the legal trigger that opens the land to the public for recreational use.
It applies specifically to the areas identified as coastal margin in the Sandbanks, Southbourne, Mudeford, and Chewton Bunny reports.
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