Keeping open all of King's coastal path will be a challenge, says Natural England

Challenges keeping King's path fully open in south54 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTristan PascoeDorset political reporter, DorsetGetty ImagesKing Charles III officially opened the coastal path in AprilKeeping all of the King Charles III England Coast Path open will be "challenging", according to Natural England.Parts of the 2,689-mile route, which was inaugurated by the King in April, are currently inaccessible because of recent landslips.In Dorset, some landowners have failed to reach agreements about the path crossing their land, and there have been public objections over its impact on wildlife.Meanwhile, in Hampshire, walkers expressed frustration the path stops abruptly at Southampton Water, where the Hythe Ferry has been out of service for 18 months.Neil Constable from Natural England said landowners had been largely supportive - but parts of the path do remain inaccessible The path is a continuous trail, allowing walkers to explore the country's shoreline on foot.Natural England, the government body which created it, said it is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world.But land slips and erosion have led to parts of the trail being rerouted or closed for safety reasons in the south west and along Dorset's Jurassic coast.Natural England's Neil Constable said it would be "challenging" to keep the whole route open, but that there was more flexibility to amend the route of the King's path than a standard public footpath."Public footpaths follow very fixed legal lines. If it falls in the sea, it's gone," he said."We've got to start from scratch negotiating [with landowners]. But going forward, if that path falls in the sea, the right remains, and we can, talking to the landowner, find a new route for the path that strikes a fair balance."At 2,689 miles long, the King's path is the longest managed coastal walking route in the world, according to Natural Engl...