Report: Only 40 percent of the beach zone around the Oslofjord is accessible to most people

Since 1965, there has been a general ban on building in the 100-metre belt, but nevertheless there has been a gradual reduction of the beach zone in the fjord municipalities. It appears in the report where the Institute of Transport Economics (TØI) has mapped outdoor use in the area.

The part of the beach zone that is not accessible to most people is used for other purposes such as buildings, cultivated land, roads, railways, marinas and campsites.

– The possibility for the municipalities to grant exemptions from the general building ban has led to a liberal application of the law. Dispensations appear to be the general rule rather than the exception, the report states.

Possible to reverse the trend

The extent of saunas, kayak piers and outdoor cafes also contributes, according to the report, to the fact that areas which are initially set aside for openly accessible meeting places can be perceived as private.

But it is possible to reverse the development of further downsizing and privatization of the beach zone, says the TØI report, which has been prepared in collaboration with the Norwegian Sports Academy and the University of Copenhagen

– A prerequisite for achieving this is political will to make decisions that support national goals, and that the administration follows up and monitors that laws and regulations are followed.

Decades of sins of omission

Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Ap) believes the figures from the report show how great the pressure on the Oslofjord is.

– We also know that the population around the Oslofjord will increase in the future, and that this will increase the load on both the fjord and the beach zone. We are completely dependent on targeted and rapid cooperation to reduce this pressure and ensure people’s continued access to the fjord.

In this work, the Minister for the Environment believes that the municipalities have a great responsibility.

– It is the sum total of decisions in the municipalities that cause the beach zone to be closed and built down bit by bit. The report shows the results of several decades of sins of omission, says Bjelland Eriksen to NTB.

He adds that the government wants to reverse this development, and that the beach zone will be a topic when the Oslo Fjord Council meets on 13 May.