We’ll fight them on the beaches! Prince William and Love Island star Lucie Donlan form unlikely alliance as they battle development of luxury £1m villas on the Cornish seafront
- Locals are fighting plans to concrete up cliff face overlooking beach in Newquay
The heir to the throne and a Love Island star make for an unlikely alliance.
But Prince William and Lucie Donlan have found themselves united in trying to block a development of luxury villas on the Cornish seafront.
Locals in Newquay are fighting plans to concrete up the wild cliff face overlooking Whipsiderry beach on the coastal walk in order to build seven £1million second homes.
They fear the heavy-duty construction work – deemed necessary to stop the ‘exceptionally high-spec’ properties falling into the sea – would destroy what is a vital haven for wildlife.
They say initial excavation work has already caused 1,000 tons of rocks to fall on to the beach, endangering the thousands who flock to it every summer.
Love Island contestant Lucie Donlan (centre left, black hat) joins protests at Whipsiderry Beach in Newquay on March 2
Prince William and Lucie Donlan (pictured) have found themselves united in trying to block the development of luxury villas on the Cornish seafront
Earlier this year she was among hundreds who staged a demonstration, linking arms to stop attempts by diggers to begin excavating the caves below
Work was stopped only when the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns part of the beach, responded to a plea from the group to use its ‘power and position of authority’ to stop the destruction. Prince William inherited the Duchy when his father became King
A large community group set up to fight the development – including model and keen surfer Ms Donlan, who starred on Love Island in 2019 – has so far been ignored by Cornwall Council.
Earlier this year she was among hundreds who staged a demonstration, linking arms to stop attempts by diggers to begin excavating the caves below.
But work was stopped only when the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns part of the beach, responded to a plea from the group to use its ‘power and position of authority’ to stop the destruction.
The Duchy – which William inherited when his father became King – suspended the licence which gave builders access to the beach until it could prove the plans were safe and bird-nesting restrictions were being met.
Campaign spokesman Andrew Robey, 38, a teacher and lifeguard, said the royal intervention was key in saving the beach for the time being.
‘The plans would ruin the beach, destroy the wildlife, and put people on the beach in danger,’ he added.
‘They’re building second homes that’ll just be left empty most of the year while there’s a housing crisis here. Locals feel betrayed.’
Campaign spokesman Andrew Robey, 38, a teacher and lifeguard, said the royal intervention was key in saving the beach for the time being. Pictured: Whipsiderry Beach
The land above was bought by developer Living Quarter Properties for a reported £300,000 in 2007, with plans for seven multistorey holiday villas. Pictured: Lucie Donlan joins protests in March
Whipsiderry is ‘the last wild beach in the area’, campaigners say. Its cliffs provide a vital nesting site for seabirds called fulmars and an important habitat for bats, the Cornish chough and kestrels.
The land above was bought by developer Living Quarter Properties for a reported £300,000 in 2007, with plans for seven multistorey holiday villas.
But the land has remained empty, largely due to the unstable cliff. Geologists warn it could erode by 70ft within a hundred years, causing the properties to fall into the sea.
To secure any development above, builders would use heavy machinery to insert 16ft steel rods and fill in the cliff and caves below with tons of concrete.
Cornwall Council declined to comment.
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