Enjoy the walk between Highcliffe Castle and Chewton Bunny now.
By the autumn this lovely coast path cliff walk, starting at the bottom and then climbing to the top, will be pitted with very large ‘beach huts’.
They will be standing on concrete rafts.
The twelve overnight huts are being built offsite and will be installed for a TV programme. The area falls under Christchurch Council which is cooperating with the TV production company making the George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces programme.
The Council claims that planning permission is not required. However, it appears that Natural England was not made aware of the plan for the cliff which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The hastily formed Friends of Highcliffe Beaches and Cliffs has launched a petition and attracted over sixty people to a meeting calling for the plan to be abandoned.
This weekend’s New Milton Advertiser carries a front page picture of last Tuesday’s demonstation when protestors sat on a paper outline of a concrete chalet base. Others held a banner reading “SAY NO TO HIGHCLIFFE BEACH RETREATS’.
Author and former CPRE patron Bill Bryson who loves the coast path, and once lived in Christchurch, is backing the protests.
