A Plaskitt Case - comment.

James Plaskitt MP for Warwick and Leamington, seems to think its OK to ignore the many residents who have contacted him, asking specifically about the inclusion of access for equestrians in the Marine Bill.

I note that he simply repeats the usual excuses for not including horse riders in the access provisions, i.e. the complexity of the environment, impractibility and lack of money.

In no way does this stock reply answer the question many of us are most concerned about. How is the government going to protect our existing traditional access to the foreshore?

Horse riders in Scotland have already been granted a statutory right of responsible access to their beaches and foreshores. By choosing not to do so in England, government is missing a simple and cost effective opportunity to increase statutory access for horse riders.

Instead of approaching this matter with a closed mind, please would Mr. Plaskitt listen to his constituents. There is still the time and the opportunity to include statutory access to the forshore for equestrians in this Bill. To be effective and clear it needs to recognise that horse riders are legitimate users of those areas.

This would be a sustainable, practical and affordable solution. It would also help to correct the impression held by many of us, that Labour is intent on air brushing horse riders out of the countryside access picture.