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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.

Comments481 - 490 of 509

let all of england fall into the sea and leave us scots and welsh alone as we have large mountains protecting us

From e.goodall on Thu Nov 20 08:37PM
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i think it is very bad if science is put before a persons home and i love science he is 77yrs for gods sake look at whats there when he is gone!!!!

From kennedy267 on Thu Nov 20 11:03PM
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There seems to be so much silliness regarding UK gov these days. The poor sod bought a house with a 'lovely view' but forgot the collapsing cliffs. Hmmm.
Here in South Africa we have laws preventing folk from building right on the coast line, our natural parks etc.
Guess we learnt a lot from our former Imperial masters

From hang1dog on Fri Nov 21 12:13AM
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I would like to say I'm surprised, but the more you read about the government policy and associations you grow numb. Next you'll be telling me that ageless tradition of conkers is too dangerous or we can't leave cheese out. Come to think of it there must be 1000's of pointless anti productive bills that our elected peers feel is appropriate. On a more serious note can't the no mods at "natural england" go and do it in a lab or better still study something remotely worthwhile?

From mjhowell82 on Fri Nov 21 07:31AM
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Look at the strength of feeling on here against this 'Natural England' group! Who the HELL do they think they are? How dare they prevent this man from protecting his home. I hope that common sense prevails and the people who make the decisions look at sites like this!

From indy500 on Fri Nov 21 04:24PM
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Look i am welsh and live a long way from this house but i just want to say are you ready the einglish man has every right to difend his home and hope they dont stop him its a crime.

From tjberan on Fri Nov 21 05:22PM
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Surely if the cliffs have eroded he owns the land where he wants to build the defences, too many do gooders about these days all living in the past and breathing our air.

From neiljones4wd on Sat Nov 22 02:34PM
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why doesnt natural England, BUY THE RUDDY PROPERTY!,then they can at their own leisure watch the sea destroy it! the mind boggles at these overpaid halfwits, their studies of underlying
strata,rock formations etc,have done nothing so far about as effective as CANUTE was,
mind he is and old man,surplus to requirements I suppose?,fair play to him,keep going old mate,, regards to you sincerely, arthur stevens age 71

From arthur.stevens1 on Sat Nov 22 06:15PM
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A well suffer HAHA HATE THAT

From otoolepaul@ymail.com on Sat Nov 22 09:47PM
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Sell up and move. You can't fight the sea.

From amanda.panda.70 on Sun Nov 23 04:15AM
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