THE issue of access at a Weymouth beach is one of national importance, according to the head of a campaign group.

National organisation The Open Spaces Society has thrown its weight behind a campaign supported by hundreds of Weymouth people to restore access to Castle Cove Beach.

The Marine and Coastal Access Act of 2009 designated Castle Cove beach as one of the first in the country to be open to public access.

The act came into force on June 29, 2012, but the only footpath to the beach was closed in March 2013 after a landslip, and the beach steps were removed.

In a letter to Matt Prosser, chief executive of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of The Open Spaces Society, wrote: “The closure of the footpath leading to the beach means that this ground-breaking scheme – of giving people statutory access to the beach – has failed in Castle Cove after only nine months’ implementation.”

She added that she was ‘deeply concerned’ about developments at the beach.

Speaking to the Dorset Echo, Ms Ashbrook said she had received a reply from Mr Prosser.

“He sounded reasonably hopeful and assured me that he is aware of how strongly the public feels about this, and that he is seeking advice about what it would take to restore access.

“Unfortunately while the beach is designated as a public access area, there is no legal requirement to provide access to that area.”

She added: “We do see this as a national issue. Weymouth was one of the first places where the Marine and Coastal Access Act came into force so what happens here could have a knock-on effect in other areas.”

Steve Elsworth, of the Friends of Castle Cove Beach, said: “We approached the Open Spaces Society because of their expertise in these issues. We were surprised – and gratified – by how concerned they are. It seems that Castle Cove Beach is raising issues of national importance.”

He added: “As Kate points out, the cost of restoring the steps is £30,000, according to the Council’s own figures.

“It’s not a huge amount of money to restore a much-loved asset that has been enjoyed by locals and tourists for at least four generations.”

Borough council environment spokesman Cllr Ian Roebuck said: “We appreciate that people are keen to see access to Castle Cove beach reinstated and thank the Open Spaces Society for their letter. Unfortunately replacing the steps would prove fruitless unless the surrounding land was stabilised. At present any scheme to stabilise the land would be uneconomical and unlikely to attract any government funding.”