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Aggrieved villagers are locked in a three-way legal battle over the loss of ancient grazing rights which they say has left them with just £100 a year, while their parish council, a golf club and the National Trust carved out more than £200,000 between the country. them
Locals say they were left the land by an 18th century owner who became the governor of Virginia in the United States.
But a golf club was founded here in 1892 and the car park it runs made £236,000 last year – with 20 per cent going to the National Trust, which says it owns land in the area, and a further 20 percent going to the parish council. .
Residents living near the beachside site in posh Brancaster in north Norfolk are demanding the proceeds be split four ways equally – but have run out of funds for the legal battle for now.
They took Brancaster Parish Council to the small claims court for a test case on behalf of a common rights holder claiming £1,500 in 2022, but have now called it off after the judge dragged the matter to a higher court where they faced massive legal bills.
Stephen Bocking, 74, and Chris Cotton, 75, are two of the Brancaster residents who claim they should be well compensated for the loss of ancient grazing rights in a beach front car park.
Locals say they were left the land (seen towards the right of this photo) by an 18th century landowner who became the governor of Virginia in the United States.
The National Trust is one of the parties involved in the dispute
Stephen Bocking, 75, a retired fishmonger, who is vice-chairman of the 300-strong Scolt Head and District Common Rightholders Association (SHDCRA), said: “We can’t pursue it anymore because we’ve run out of money.
“Going to a higher court would cost us £18,000. The High Court would be another £100,000.
‘When does the poor man get justice? We are just peasants at the end of the day, not the rich and famous.
Association president Chris Cotton added: “We want compensation for the loss of pasture on the common. Part of the parking money should go four ways, 25 percent each.
“All we get at the moment is £100 a year for a fence that keeps animals off the golf course.
“The National Trust registered that land in 2009. How they could, I don’t know.
“So they asked the golf club for compensation. The golf club has a 99-year lease from the National Trust.
Mr Cotton said the land – which is close to one of the UK’s most spectacular beaches with miles of unspoilt golden sand – was left to ordinary people in the area by Colonel Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baronet Botetourt, for fishing, grazing and collecting samphire.
Lord Botetourt, a British army officer and conservative politician, served as governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770, when he died in office.
The 6,457-yard, par 71 Royal West Norfolk Golf Club was established with little opposition more than a century ago, while the parking lot at the heart of the current dispute was built in the 1950s, as the tours of day trips to the coast by car are becoming more and more popular. .
Residents living near the beachside site in posh Brancaster in north Norfolk are demanding the proceeds be split four ways equally – but have run out of funds for the legal battle for now.
Mr Cotton said the land – which sits next to one of the UK’s most spectacular beaches with miles of unspoilt golden sand – was left to ordinary people in the area by Colonel Norborne Berkeley.
The golf course runs alongside the beautiful beach
Visitors currently pay £5 for two hours or £11 for 24 hours during the summer season.
Last year, the 20 percent cut the parish council and the National Trust received amounting to £47,233 each. The year before, each received £56,318 – making the annual take £281,590.
Mr Bocking said: “It looks like the golf club raised £500 to build the car park. It’s not a bad investment when you think of the hundreds of thousands of pounds they’ve got from it now.
“All we want is something fair and reasonable. If the money goes to the SHDCRA that would be used to maintain the community.
The association said that the problem with parking predated the 1965 Community Registration Act, after which those with claims had to register their interest.
Before then, they were represented by the parish council – meaning, they say, there was a conflict of interest when the council claimed a share of the proceeds.
In 2021, activists organized a protest at the site. Mr Bocking and Mr Cotton were both parish councilors at the time and were censured for taking part. Mr Cotton has since left the board, but Mr Bocking remains a member.
Parish secretary Simon Bower said at the time: “This has been a long-standing situation which is unfortunate and divisive.”
The parish council has been approached for comment on the ongoing dispute.
The golf club was also asked to provide a statement.
The National Trust told the Mail that its ownership of part of the site has been registered with the Land Registry and anyone wishing to dispute this should apply to challenge the registry.
The 6,457-yard, par 71 Royal West Norfolk Golf Club was established with little opposition more than a century ago
A sign informing walkers that they cannot access the beach or marsh track through the golf club land
The National Trust told the Mail that its ownership of part of the site has been registered with the Land Registry and anyone wishing to dispute this should apply to challenge the registry.
A spokesman added: “The National Trust has 673 hectares of land in its care on the Brancaster estate, including parts of the beach car park.
“There is a lease in place with the Royal West Norfolk Golf Club which includes this land and the National Trust has received a proportion of the revenue as part of this business arrangement.”
Parish Council chairman Tom de Winton said the SHDCRA case was based on “shouting and finger-wagging” and had “only come out since the parking income has become substantial recently”.
The money the council received from the golf club was a donation that “could be withdrawn at any time”, he added.
“So far, (SHDCRA) has not produced any documentation to support their claim,” he said.
“His normal tactic of big statements, shouting and finger-wagging doesn’t prove anything.”
A spokesman for the golf club said: “The RWNGC has unimpeachable title to the land on which the golf course and car park are located, as recognized by the Land Registry under the Registration Act of the Earth 2002.
“How parking is managed is not something I want to comment on.”