article_snippet.sent: James Weld stumped up £15,000 to bring an end to a three year stand-off with Natural England over who was responsible for the coastal path down to the beach   at Durdle Door on Dorset's Jurassic Coast.
article_snippet.sent: James Weld has stumped up £15,000 to end a three-year stand-off with Natural England over access to Durdle Door on Dorset's Jurassic Coast beach .
article_snippet.sent: However, James Weld says that Natural Englandshirked' Natural England duty to reinstate the steps under the law for three years by claiming they did not form part of the coastal path.
article_snippet.sent: Natural England said they were happy the steps had been reopened but declined to comment on James Weld claims.
article_snippet.sent: It was clear the steps down to Durdle Door needed replacing but Natural England said Natural England weren't responsible for Natural England. '
article_snippet.sent: Mr Weld says Natural Englandshirked' Natural England duty for three years by claiming they did not form part of the coastal path, leaving Mr Weld to pay the £15,000 to rebuild the steps which have now been reopened (pictured) '
article_snippet.sent: In the end, regardless of who was officially responsible or the cost, we felt the need to step in to put Durdle Door back on the map for walkers and sightseers, and to help minimise the environmental impact to this extraordinary coastal feature. '
article_snippet.sent: A spokesman for Natural England said: 'It's good news that the Durdle Door beach steps have been reopened and that local visitors can have safe access to the beach to enjoy this wonderful stretch of the Jurassic Coast. '
article_snippet.sent: Natural England said Natural England was glad Durdle Door's beach steps have been reopened but would not comment on the landowner's claims .
article_snippet.sent: Durdle Door's beach steps was gutted by fire in 1929 and only fully restored in the 1990s by the Weld estate and English Heritage.
article_snippet.sent: In 2013 Natural England said claims made by the Lulworth Estate owner James Weld that the 2009 Coastal Access Act handed them responsibility for the steps to Durdle Door were untrue.
highlights_snippet.sent: James Weld had to stump up £15,000 to restore steps to the beach  at Durdle Door which were washed away in 2012 .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: But the government body claimed steps weren't part of coastal route and refused to pay for repairs for three years .