A millionaire developer has blocked a historic coastal path in Cornwall, England, that locals say has been used for centuries, by installing steel gates and warning trespassers of prosecution. Seamus Redmond, owner of Bluechip Hotels Limited, has gated off the path connecting Porth and Lusty Glaze beaches, prompting accusations of greed and selfishness from residents.
Redmond's company received conditional planning permission last year for a £9.5 million redevelopment of the Glendorgal Hotel site, which borders the path, to create 12 luxury holiday homes. He has claimed on social media that there is no public right of way along the route and that any use of the path constitutes trespassing. He has also suggested that those wishing to use the path should purchase one of the new holiday homes.
"There was no right of way. It is private property and anyone who is using it or has been using it is trespassing," Redmond stated on Facebook. "Apart from that we are now faced with people vandalising our property which is also our home. Sick or what?"
He further warned that CCTV cameras are in operation and will be used to prosecute anyone attempting to enter the property illegally. When challenged by a local teacher, Matt Kennedy-Smith, about the closure, Redmond reportedly replied, "Buy one of the properties and have exclusive rights of way included in the purchase price."
Residents have contested Redmond's claims, with the Glendorgal Coast Path group finding evidence that the path has been in use for over 140 years. A poll conducted by the group indicated that 97% of respondents believed it to be a public footpath, and more than half reported using it weekly. The group is now pursuing a Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) with Cornwall Council to have the historic use of the route officially recognized.
"Many people are struggling to understand why a route used openly by local people and visitors for decades has suddenly been blocked," said Kennedy-Smith. "The recent installation of gates, fencing and private property signs has understandably caused significant concern within the community."
Historical records show that residents successfully campaigned against a previous landowner in 1882 who also attempted to fence off access to the path. The Glendorgal Estate, which includes the former hotel site, dates back to 1850. The Glendorgal Hotel itself operated intermittently until it was wound up during the COVID-19 pandemic on health and safety grounds. Redmond and his wife, Amanda, cited financial losses and a need for upgrades in their planning application for the holiday homes.
Long-time residents expressed dismay at the closure. Dave Trebilcock, a 77-year-old retired fisherman, stated, "I've used this path man and boy since the previous owner and it's been a footpath for over 100 years. ... It stops a lot of people doing that walk with their dogs, even the rod fishermen have been stopped now, we're losing our way of life."
Alice Von Kohler, a 40-year-old probation officer, described the situation as "greed and selfishness." Sean Wells, a retired teacher who has used the path since the mid-1990s, noted that the initial wooden barriers were replaced with a steel gate last week.
Cornwall Council has stated that there is no public right of way to the headland in question. The redevelopment plan by Bluechip Hotels aims to create three- and four-bedroom holiday homes on the site of the former hotel.