Our millionaire neighbour chopped down dozens of trees… he claimed to stop erosion – but now his sea view is perfect

NEIGHBOURS have hit out at a millionaire homeowner after he chopped down dozens of trees claiming it would stop erosion.

Tree surgeons were called in by businessman Bill Buckler, 62, to carry out a survey of the 28 mature maritime pines that stood on the sloping cliff at the bottom of his garden.

Canford Cliffs in Poole, Dorset, is a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Natural England approved the move, who agreed with Mr Buckler that the cutting down of the 30ft trees would help protect the cliff from erosion and improve the habitat for rare reptiles, such as sand lizards.

By felling the trees, it would prevent any of them falling and potentially landing on someone walking on the promenade 100ft below.

Locals though have pointed out that since the work has been carried out, the sea views from Mr Buckler’s garden have greatly improved.

Aerial photographs show a 50ft wide path has been cleared on the cliff directly behind Mr Buckler’s new £3million mansion.

Images also appear to show what could be a large sun terrace being built next to the cliff edge where the trees had stood.

'CONCETE JUNGLE'

Neighbour Mark Glowacki claimed Mr Buckler had turned the land into a “concrete jungle”.

He told the : “It's a shame the trees are gone, but there's not a lot we can do about it. I suspect he has done it to improve his view.

“He's not just clearing the site, he is building something there.

“It's not ideal, he's turning it into a concrete jungle rather than keeping it as a nice rural area.

“Unfortunately there were no Tree Preservation Orders on the trees, although I believe there is a general preservation order.”

Another neighbour, who was not identified, said: “I believe he has done this to improve the view from the garden.”

They added they liked the trees which they thought enhanced the view and found it “bizarre” Mr Buckler had wanted them to be removed.

Another neighbour, who was also not named, said the tree surgeon’s report covered the whole area of the cliff Mr Buckler owns but only part of the cliff in front of the half-finished patio area had been cleared.

He dismissed the idea the trees had been removed to protect the cliff face and save the sand lizards as “utter nonsense,” questioning why Mr Buckler had only taken down the trees in front of the lower garden.

TREES AT RISK OF TOPPLING OVER

The report by the tree specialists handed to Natural England said the trees had grown so tall there was a risk they could be toppled over in a strong south westerly wind.

It added that if that happened, they would take chunks out of the cliff, undermining its stability.

Tree expert Andrew Scott said Mr Buckler’s main objective was to reduce the cliff erosion.

He explained that a tree’s roots get larger as the tree also grows and becomes taller.

RISK OF CLIFF SOIL BECOMING UNSTABLE

The growth of the larger structural roots can be a factor in making the cliff soil unstable.

Larger trees are exposed to “stronger wind forces” which are “dissipated” through the root system which can lead to soil movement.

Natural England’s conservation and senior planning adviser Nick Squirrell said there was a number of reasons why the non-native pines were “undesirable” in the SSSI area.

He said the trees created shade over the habitat that could otherwise be used by the sand lizards.

Mr Squirrell also said the trees obscured the geological features of the area as well as posing a risk of falling over and down the cliff onto the promenade.

Mr Buckler, who owns Bayview Developments, paid £3m for the 1.5-acre plot of land on the cliff top in 2020.

He got planning permission to demolish a bungalow already on the site and to build a large detached four-bedroom property along with a separate swimming pool annexe.

The Sun Online has contacted Mr Buckler for comment.