Campaigners have secured a victory in their battle to stop a developer from concreting the cliff at Whipsiderry.

The Duchy of Cornwall has suspended a licence it gave to developer LQP Porth Limited to carry out work on the beach, over safety concerns.

Security staff employed by the developer have been allegedly forcibly removing protesters who are campaigning against the work being carried out.

The Duchy has now decided to suspend the licence so discussions between the developer and relevant statutory bodies are carried out to ensure the work can take place in a safe manner, following the Health and Safety Executive advising that the fenced-off safety exclusion zone around the work should be extended. 

The cliff reinforcement works, which involve excavating sea caves with heavy machinery, drilling into the rock, inserting steel rods and filling the caves with concrete, including part of the cliff face above, are needed to enable seven luxury villas to be built on the clifftop above at the former Paradise Cover Hotel.

The Save Whipsiderry Cliffs Public Group launched a social media campaign urging the Duchy to withdraw the permission it has given to the developer to work on Whipsiderry Beach to concrete the cliff, arguing it goes against King Charle’s III’s and Prince William’s environmental ethos.

A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: “The Duchy granted a licence at Whipsiderry beach to allow a third party developer to access land within their ownership.

“This was for the purpose of carrying out specific works forming part of a planning consent issued by Cornwall Council. 

“The Duchy granted access on the basis that these works be carried out in a safe manner and that all necessary consents were in place, including observing bird nesting restrictions. 

“The Duchy has therefore suspended the licence in order for discussions between the developer and the relevant statutory authorities to take place and for those authorities to determine if and how the consented work can take place in a safe and compliant manner."

There's more on this story in the print edition of the Newquay Voice, out tomorrow.