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Pensioner told to let his home fall into sea

Tue Nov 18 02:25PM

A pensioner has launched a High Court legal battle against a government-funded organisation after he was told that he must not prevent his cliffside home from falling into the sea.

Peter Boggis, a retired engineer, built his own coastal defences to prevent erosion that was threatening his home as well as neighbouring properties.

But Natural England wants the fossil-bearing cliffs on which the houses stand to wear away, exposing soil and rock that they want to study.

In 2006 it declared that the area was a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Mr Boggis was banned from maintaining his ‘soft sea defences'.

The 77-year-old is currently arguing at London's High Court that Natural England has acted beyond its powers and has no legal right to prevent him from defending his home.

The case, which is believed to have cost around £50,000 to bring to court, is "extremely critical for all people living along the coast" as they might also be prevented from protecting their homes, according to Mr Boggis.

Gregory Jones, Mr Boggis' lawyer, told Mr Justice Blair - the brother of the former Prime Minister - that the purpose of SSSIs was to conserve or preserve geological features, not to study the results of cliff destruction.

Natural England argues that it had a legitimate scientific interest in allowing the sea to erode the cliffs.

Comments21 - 30 of 509

The lunatics are running the asylum.

From davidheley1944 on Tue Nov 18 03:40PM
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I like the comments made by apdavidson no 18 so ture. but we are all sitting back and taking it

From billybobby01 on Tue Nov 18 03:44PM
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WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLES BRAINS MADE OF THEY CERTINLY DONT COME WITH ONE ONCE OF SCENSE THEY ARE JUST A LOAD OF YOGERT KNITTERS WHO GET TO MUCH MONEY FOR NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE. ITS TIME WE STOOD UP TO THESE FACELESS IDOITS THEY SHOULD GET A PROPERJOB IN DEFENDING PEOPLES PROPERTY NOT DESTROYING IT

From derek.swannick on Tue Nov 18 03:45PM
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the essence of all governments is to control,surveillance and taking away your freedom,people are just spectators not participants in the running of this country,the main serious erosion is of democracy in england.

From crispian2005 on Tue Nov 18 03:45PM
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Once again GREAT Britain becomes a joke we are not in danger of people laughing at our once great nation they have been for a fecking long time. The do gooders, the left wing idiots, the pathetic excuse for social services(name doesnt suit what it does) the weak court system the scroungers the hand outs, the list is endless just add this poor bloke to the list of injustices in our once great nation, its now official WE ARE A JOKE. we should pack our bags and leave and let the looney left with the rest of the s**t that come over here keep it THIS COUNTRY STINKS

From lardlfc on Tue Nov 18 03:53PM
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Once again GREAT Britain becomes a joke we are not in danger of people laughing at our once great nation they have been for a fecking long time. The do gooders, the left wing idiots, the pathetic excuse for social services(name doesnt suit what it does) the weak court system the scroungers the hand outs, the list is endless just add this poor bloke to the list of injustices in our once great nation, its now official WE ARE A JOKE. we should pack our bags and leave and let the looney left with the rest of the s**t that come over here keep it THIS COUNTRY STINKS

From lardlfc on Tue Nov 18 03:53PM
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one would assume that the house was close to the fast eroding coast when he bought it should have tried a bit of forward thinking perhaps and bought further inland of course if it had been a civil servant who had purchased with such a devil may care attitude as happened at belle tout lighthouse at eastbourne then the property would have been moved back from the cliff edge at the taxpayers expense

From wulfyapp on Tue Nov 18 03:54PM
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Once again GREAT Britain becomes a joke we are not in danger of people laughing at our once great nation they have been for a fecking long time. The do gooders, the left wing idiots, the pathetic excuse for social services(name doesnt suit what it does) the weak court system the scroungers the hand outs, the list is endless just add this poor bloke to the list of injustices in our once great nation, its now official WE ARE A JOKE. we should pack our bags and leave and let the looney left with the rest of the s**t that come over here keep it THIS COUNTRY STINKS

From lardlfc on Tue Nov 18 03:54PM
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The do gooders, the left wing idiots, the pathetic excuse for social services(name doesnt suit what it does) the weak court system the scroungers the hand outs, the list is endless just add this poor bloke to the list of injustices in our once great nation, its now official WE ARE A JOKE. we should pack our bags and leave and let the looney left with the rest of the s**t that come over here keep it THIS COUNTRY STINKS

From lardlfc on Tue Nov 18 03:55PM
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Does this mean they can condemn ANY home on the grounds that it is not a natural geological feature!!

From vanmeer1 on Tue Nov 18 04:04PM
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