DEFRA has appointed 25 March 2026 as the day the access preparation period ends for the coastal margin associated with the England Coast Path section from Wallasea Island to Burnham‑on‑Crouch. The Order was made on 24 March and takes effect the following day, bringing statutory coastal access rights into force from today, 25 March 2026.
Formally titled the Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Wallasea Island to Burnham‑on‑Crouch) Order 2026, the instrument is made under section 3A(10) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. It applies to coastal margin land that arises as a consequence of proposals approved by the Secretary of State under section 52(1) of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.
The relevant approvals cover five Natural England reports for this route. WIB1 (Wallasea Island to Ferry Road, Hullbridge) was approved on 23 April 2021; WIB2 (Ferry Road, Hullbridge to Hawk Hill, Battlesbridge), WIB3 (Hawk Hill Bridge to Clementsgreen Creek), WIB4 (Clementsgreen Creek, South Woodham Ferrers to The Quay, North Fambridge) and WIB5 (The Quay, North Fambridge to Burnham‑on‑Crouch, North Fambridge) were each approved on 6 March 2024.
Those reports were submitted by Natural England to the Secretary of State on 29 January 2020 under sections 51 and 55A of the 1949 Act. They set out the proposed trail alignment, the extent of the associated coastal margin and the establishment steps required before access rights could commence.
Appointing the end of the access preparation period triggers the commencement of statutory access rights across the mapped coastal margin for this stretch under the 2000 Act. The right permits access on foot for open‑air recreation, subject to the general restrictions contained in the Act and any local directions or exclusions that may be specified.
In practical terms, ‘coastal margin’ refers to the area of land identified by Natural England alongside the approved trail, which may extend beyond the path itself where specified in the approved reports. Excepted land defined by the 2000 Act remains out of scope, and any pre‑existing restrictions continue to apply.
The access preparation period, defined in section 3A(10) of the 2000 Act, allows the establishment steps described in the approved reports to be completed before rights begin. By setting 25 March 2026 as the end date, the Order confirms those preparations for the Wallasea Island to Burnham‑on‑Crouch section are concluded.
From today, rights, restrictions and any site‑specific directions operate as set out in the approved documentation and on‑site notices. Ongoing maintenance and any temporary closures will continue to be managed through the established Countryside and Rights of Way Act processes.
According to the Order’s explanatory note, no separate impact assessment has been prepared for this instrument because the assumptions were addressed in the impact assessment for the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Notices of approval are available on GOV.UK and can also be obtained from DEFRA on request.
The instrument is signed by Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It was made on 24 March 2026 and came into force on 25 March 2026.