According to a recent poll by the Ramblers Association, 249 million visits were made to coastal locations in the last year, with Kimmeridge to Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset topping the list of favourite walks.
In response to this evident national passion for coastal walking, The Ramblers Association has launched a campaign to safeguard the future of their proposed English coastal path – a continuous route which would take in exhilarating cliff-top walks, stunning shorelines, and millions of years of the earth’s history, as well as injecting new life to coastal villages and seaside towns.
A shift in government focus currently means that this vision has dropped to the bottom of the priority list, and the planning and design of the route is being delayed.
The Ramblers are calling on the government to assert their support for the English Coastal path and set the next stages of this exciting project in motion. Tom Franklin, Ramblers Chief Executive explains why. “As an island nation, we all know the awe-inspiring, soul restoring influence of a walk by the sea. That’s why we’re urging the government to firmly state their ongoing commitment to an all England coastal path and clearly set out the timeline for the next stretches of the path.”
If you wish to show your support, then visit www.ramblers.co.uk to find out more and make a donation.
So what do you think? Is it important to remind the government of their commitments to environmental projects like these? Or are they justified in letting them slip down the priority list? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
(pic c/o © david hughes – Fotolia.com)
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Hi and welcome. I'm a freelance travel and lifestyle copywriter and editor, with a passion for the great outdoors. This is my personal blog all about getting out in the fresh air and reconnecting with our green spaces and countryside.
This is a great project and I can’t wait to see it’s completion.
Of course it makes sense for the government to prioritise other things during difficult times but that’s when it’s good to have organisations like the Ramblers shouting their corner.
Maybe this qualifies as the “Big Society”??
Thanks Tim. I think the government would be missing a trick if they didn’t continue to support this project. The creation of the path could provide a huge boost to the local economies of the areas it passes through, and provide a real draw for visitors from abroad. It doesn’t just make environmental sense, but economic sense too. I’ll get off my soap box now… ; – )