The UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) will provide a voice for shooters on future coastal access plans.
BASC is the only shooting organisation to have been given a full right of appeal to the Secretary of State on coastal access decisions in new regulations published by Defra.
The listing of BASC in the regulations also means that Natural England has a statutory duty to give BASC early notice of areas of land affected by coastal access proposals at local level. This means that BASC can get the message out to shooters in time for them to get involved in the decision making process.
BASC’s Conor O’Gorman said: “BASC has provided an effective voice for shooters on coastal access which is why Defra has decided that BASC should be granted a full right of appeal to the Secretary of State. This means that BASC can safeguard shooting interests if the consultation process fails to take account of them. However, we hope that this will be a rare occurrence as BASC has already ensured that the planning guidance for coastal access covers the full diversity of shooting interests on any land that could be affected.”
The first area that will be subject to a coastal access consultation is a short stretch of coast near Weymouth in Dorset. Proposals may follow for stretches of coast in Kent, Somerset, Norfolk, Cumbria and East Riding.
For more information on the regulations visit www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/coastal-access2010/index.htm
ENDS