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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.

Comments61 - 70 of 509

This is what is called plain maddness. If they want to see the cliffs erode, they should buy the house and buy this poor old man another. It's not fair on him to lose his home because some bunch of stuffy 'scienists' want to watch a cliff break up, which is in my opinion less interesting than watching paint dry.

From libbykeir on Tue Nov 18 04:26PM
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This country is going to the dogs. The laws we now have are so stupid its unreal. Time we got off our bums and did something about it. This orginisation is just the tip of the iceberg. When we are told that bananas must be straight, that our homes are not ours to protect, the madmen rune the asylum. Come on Englishmen.......live upto your heretage. Stop this nonsense!!!!!

From wolfsbain on Tue Nov 18 04:26PM
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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe - Albert Einstein

From mauro_liberato on Tue Nov 18 04:27PM
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Another example of how the rights of the individual are being eroded away.
An old age pensioner has been told to just let his home fall into the sea!!I have to keep repeating it to myself just in case I have missed something that would qualify that instruction as vaguely logical or having a grain of compassion!!!!!!!

From quiet_bird on Tue Nov 18 04:27PM
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Shall we just let the whole of England fall into the sea and move to Scotland, to protect the fossils??

From jonny_jinx on Tue Nov 18 04:27PM
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this man has his rights to keep his home and do everything in his power to keep it the government should just leave this poor man alone

From deanlowen on Tue Nov 18 04:28PM
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They cannot force him to allow the cliff to erode. They do not have the legal standing to compel him to allow the destruction of his home. I am surprised this even went to highcourt.
They do not and cannot have such legal authority.

From slythyr on Tue Nov 18 04:28PM
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coraz mniejsza robi sie nasza wyspa

From adoodly on Tue Nov 18 04:28PM
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Tax payers fund Natural England. That means you. They are a load of beurocrats that mean well but haven't got two braincells to rub together.
This whole country is being eroded. First it was the politically correct dimwits who wouldn't let you tell a joke and now the country is being run by complete idiots. Who makes these policies? They should be taken out of office and put in the stocks.
Act whilst you still can, I say!

From david_peers69 on Tue Nov 18 04:28PM
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What sort of people are running this country? Squatters have rights!!! So why on earth can't that poor man even protect his lovely home from what little time he has in it? Pathetic!!!

From martinrobinson26 on Tue Nov 18 04:29PM
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