The Public and the Coast There should be little need
to emphasise the importance of preserving those parts of the coastline which are still available for the enjoyment of the ordinary citizen. Steadily over recent years some of the most attractive stretches of coast, especially in Devon and Cornwall, have fallen into the hands of speculative builders, indifferent to the destrUction of their natural beauty, or of individuals who have fenced them off as private reserves. The newly-formed Coastal Preservation Committee has asked over a hundred and fifty local authorities what they consider should be done to prevent this invasion. The obvious solution of paying compensation to the private owners sufficient to dissuade them from restricting public access to their areas of coast cannot be adopted by many local authorities for financial reasons. Possibly the only satisfactory solution would be for private owners to be compensated from the resources of an ad hek fund voluntarily contributed. Miny areas have been already acquired by public subscription or individual gift, and placed in the safe hands of the National Trust.- -
Previous page
