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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.

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Mr Boggis should go out to the Middle East and come back with a healthy tan in the back of a lorry, then the Governemnt would rush round and house him in luxury which is all he deserves after what they have put him through these past years.

From gordonpowling on Fri Dec 12 09:48PM
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Is there a way of protecting his home????

From jennywrenofbarry on Tue Dec 16 11:43PM
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its about time we all stood up to this so called socialist government and kick them out of office ? new labour i dont think so.

From pip1945 on Mon Jan 05 10:01PM
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There should be a ruling giving help to people trying to preserve the cliffs surrounding England. NOT ONE GIVING HELP TO PEOPLE DESTROYING THE CLIFFS. Lets hope Peter Boggis wins then what about using old tyres filled with concrete and piled up to stop the erosion as someone a few years ago in East Yorks planned to do but was stopped.

From les.hooson2 on Sat Jan 10 03:54PM
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Once again in this country we see the case for a common sense approach to maters ie, the laymen or common people of this country being outcasts. By the minority who drag the whole country down to there level.

From stuartwallace7 on Wed Jan 14 03:16AM
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once your aged in this country your liable to no help, the goverment see the aged as an easy free money genoration scam, which is what the court of protection is all about, helping them selfs to ones life savings, selling there home, the only people there proteting is in fact the social services adult social care, as its all there lies that gets them everything a pensioner owns , they stole more than £65,000 in cash, & his £500,000+ home, not a penny was spent on him, me on state benefits had to buy clothes for my stepfather which is a disgrace, the only uthere thing the court does is stop people like me going to court to expose there conduct, & lies ones human rights doesnt exsist when one is dealing with these people.

From timothynigel on Sat Jan 17 10:47AM
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It is true to say that today you have no rights,we are governed, we are naught ,but surfs, so dear people what do you expect we go from bad to worse ,alas. jo

From cuttsjosie on Wed Jan 28 06:54PM
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this smacks of everything that i dislike about the UK,mindless interfering @#$%s,that are spending OUR money, to use it against us.No good going to the judiciary,OR the government,they all piss in the same pot,it's all SELF SELF SELF,self importance,self indulgent,and downright bloody selfish,Starts at the very top and filters down all the way through.The naive people who thought An Englishman's home was his castle are probably the same ones who think they have free speech cos they live in a democracy,mmmm think again,you can't speak about things without being branded ageist,sexist,racist,anti what ever,and if it offends some minority group or person living in the UK,the government will always make a law to "protect" them,just to be fair..Now you the Englishman of yesteryear,who fought wars,educated other countries,and policed the world,SHUT UP and DO as YOU ARE TOLD.

From tigerbrock2005 on Thu Jan 29 07:14AM
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I bet if it was a holiday home for one of the Royal Family another one would be built a bit further back and the cost would come out of tax-payers money.
No wonder people are leaving this country. Talk about a sinking ship!

From john_owen2412 on Thu Feb 19 05:09PM
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