Home / Environment / Millionaire Fined £20k for Illegal Pool on Protected Cliff
Millionaire Fined £20k for Illegal Pool on Protected Cliff
26 Jan
Summary
- Developer felled 28 trees for unauthorized pool house.
- Illegal construction damaged protected SSSI geological features.
- High Court dismissed appeal; called it 'free of merit'.
A millionaire property developer, Bill Buckler, has been ordered to pay a £20,000 fine for illegally felling 28 clifftop trees and constructing an unauthorized garden room and infinity pool. The development occurred on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Poole, Dorset, despite initial claims of conservation purposes. Natural England investigated reports of unauthorized excavation in early 2022 and confirmed the building work was unauthorized. The High Court has now unanimously dismissed Buckler's appeal against the fine, describing it as 'notably free of merit.'
Nick Squirrel from Natural England stated that the geological features on the protected land have been permanently damaged and cannot be restored without risking cliff instability. Attempting to remove the unauthorized structures would pose a significant risk to beach users below. The illegal works, which continued until March 2023, have irrevocably altered a part of the SSSI notified for its important coastal habitat and geological features. The court's decision underscores the severity of the environmental damage caused by the unauthorized construction.
