A PURBECK landowner fears government plans to take control over parts of the English coastline could jeopardise one of Dorset’s crown jewels.

James Weld, general manager of the Lulworth Estate, has penned a personal plea to Hilary Benn, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) over the proposed “opening up” of the coast.

Under the scheme, the government would take over responsibility and funding for maintaining selected coastal areas, the first of which would be the 20km stretch of the Jurassic Coast that incorporates Lulworth.

Mr Weld’s concern is that the level of investment and attention Defra will provide will be far less than that currently provided by the Lulworth Estate.

Without the same input, Mr Weld fears the area, which encompasses Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, faces a bleaker future.

In his letter, he wrote: “There are some considerable impracticalities with your approach, not to say significant expense, which you have woefully under-estimated and which will undoubtedly add to the financial pressures on government.

“The main reasons we continue to fund this work are precisely because when some of it has been attempted by government funding, the resources have proven to be completely inadequate to do the job efficiently in a constantly moving and dynamic environment.”

Currently, the Lulworth Estate provides and maintains footpaths, open areas and steps leading to the beaches in the area.

They also serve to educate the public about the conservation of the area and maintain natural habitats for wildlife.

Mr Weld admitted “mixed feelings” over the proposed Marine and Coastal Access Bill.

He felt “delight” Defra would now be taking on the coastal maintenance costs, along with liability for claims over accidents on the cliffs and paths.

But Mr Weld also expressed “considerable sadness” that they would be unlikely to protect and educate visitors or protect the environment to the same level as the estate.

With the cost of maintaining paths and steps costing around £15,000 per kilometre, Mr Weld estimated a £30 million bill for the government to look after England’s coasts each year.

The intention is to create a continuous coastal path for Dorset in time for the sailing events of the 2012 Olympics, which will be hosted at Weymouth and Portland.

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