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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.

Comments31 - 40 of 509

May I suggest that the Committee for Natural England - who must have agreed TOGETHER in this matter, that they should come here and fall on my sword, because I would like to study them Natural Scientist

From tdwest33 on Tue Nov 18 04:08PM
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those at the top are mad with there stupid ideas there report is dusgustin to disalow a person to save home from dj 556

From cameron3aa on Tue Nov 18 04:10PM
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This man spent his childhood years living through a world war which was supposed to be about peoples rights to defend themselves against the enemy. to allow individuals to live freely and without fear and not loose their homes at the whim of another. What does that make natural England

From togetherness_99 on Tue Nov 18 04:11PM
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if he was muslim or what ever they would unbuild , move the house and rebuild all out of our ( the tax payers ) money , and give him £1000`s for his troubles.

From madmax1971 on Tue Nov 18 04:12PM
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I agree, the house is doomed, and I woul'nt like to live there. He should be awarded some compensation and moved to a safer area. "Natural England" are boring !

From j.aucott on Tue Nov 18 04:14PM
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It's his home. He should be allowed to protect it. They may have a right, but should it come at a cost to someone else's home? No!

From ahendersonbegg on Tue Nov 18 04:19PM
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I think thats totally disgusting - of course he should have the right to defend his home. Are the government idiots going to help him move, give him a new house in an area he likes, to the value of the old one? Most unlikely. More proof that the officals "in charge" are the real fossils.

From bardic_dreams on Tue Nov 18 04:20PM
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It is his home and he should have the right to protect it

From misslynch2001 on Tue Nov 18 04:20PM
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Natural England, bunch of communists,

From hunter.stuart@rocketmail.com on Tue Nov 18 04:21PM
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Natural England should be made to give way over the going rate if he doesn't really want to sell

From mc_eng2002 on Tue Nov 18 04:22PM
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