King Charles III officiated the opening of the England Coast Path, which boasts the title of the world’s longest managed coastal walking route at 2,689 miles (4,328 km). This extensive path, which took 18 years to develop and saw involvement from seven prime ministers, represents a major achievement in public access to natural spaces in England. However, the path still has significant portions closed off to the public. This is due to various objections, particularly from landowners who cite concerns over safety and the potential disturbances to their property and livestock.

Among the objections raised, concerns from farmers about potential harm to walkers from livestock and objections from hotels that are hesitant to allow public foot traffic on their grounds stand out. These issues have led to a lack of clarity on when the remaining closed parts of the path can be opened for public use. In addition, fears about coastal erosion and the presence of a disused ferry add to the complications concerning public access to the coast path, which was initially launched under the government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Natural England has reported receiving numerous complaints regarding the access issues and is actively working to address them. While the majority of the coast path had previously existed, this project introduced 1,000 new miles of paths and improvement measures like resurfacing and the installation of boardwalks. The ongoing challenge is to balance the rights of landowners with the public's desire for access to the scenic coastal landscapes and biodiversity of England, which highlights an ongoing discussion about land use in the country.