Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

I hear what the noble Duke says. He knows that we have no intention of ploughing arbitrarily through people’s gardens and that that is not the legislation’s intent. However, he will also be aware that the constraints surrounding the concept of the coastal path can present real issues with regard to juxtaposition in some circumstances. We may need to secure local agreement to preserve the continuity of the route where a householder reaches a different agreement. That may be necessary for the purposes of the path. At this stage, I am simply seeking to avoid amendments that rigidify the legislation when we are aware of the concerns that have been identified. The noble Duke identified an important one. I merely seek an element of flexibility against a background where there is a great deal of work to be done on these issues. However, that work will not be advanced with excessive restrictions—