An MP has called on the government to put the protection of people’s homes above the interests of science, and scrap an environmental designation which has prevented anti-erosion measures being put in place along a crumbling Sheppey cliff.

Gordon Henderson, who represents Sittingbourne and Sheppey, used a debate in Parliament on Wednesday to request that Eastchurch Gap have its Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) classification removed.

He said it would allow steps to be taken to protect the remaining properties.

It comes just over a year after a huge landslide at the end of Surf Crescent.

A bungalow - called Cliffhanger - was left teetering over the edge and, four days later, it collapsed.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Henderson said many more of his constituents were concerned about their future in the homes they had loved for so long.

He added: “The problem of the erosion of the north Sheppey cliffs is not new. It is something I have raised before and I will continue to raise the matter until something is done to save the properties that are under threat.

“Unusually, solving the problem is not about money. There are groups on Sheppey who have put forward schemes to reinstate the cliffs at no cost to taxpayers.

“However, they have come up against intransigence on behalf of Natural England, who have stated publicly they will oppose in principle any proposal to stop the erosion of the cliffs.

“Natural England’s reason for its stance is that the cliff erosion in that part of the Sheppey coastline has been designated an SSSI.

“It is in place not to protect land, which I could understand, but to protect the loss of land, which I find frankly bizarre.

“I have asked in the past for the SSSI designation to be lifted, so that the homes of my constituents can be saved, but I was told it was an EU designation.

“We are no longer in the EU, so I would urge the minister to look again at the situation and see if the designation can now be lifted, and, if not, what other steps can be taken to protect my constituents?”

The cliffs have been protected by the SSSI since 1984, and because, of the designation, a policy of no active intervention is in place regarding the erosion. The area is studied for its fossils, rare plants and landslips.

Rebecca Pow, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for environment, food and rural affairs, said that between 2021 and 2027, the government was doubling its investment in flooding and coastal erosion funding to £5.2 billion, which would “ensure that a further 336,000 properties are protected”.

However, it does not appear Eastchurch’s will be among them.

She added: “The SSSI designation is a UK protection. The designations were made under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 – it is not an EU designation.

“The whole issue was reviewed, but in 2017 Natural England advised against interfering with the natural processes and the features that they produce. Importantly, online proposals to manage erosion and landslip in this area have faced major funding challenges, with cheaper interventions in recent years proving ineffectual.”

She said the Environment Agency was working with local authorities, residents and businesses to develop “adaptation initiatives” including relocating or compensating affected properties.

She said: “Those initiatives will enable us to reach the long-term goal of a naturally evolving coastline, with local communities, that is resilient, rather than vulnerable to change.”

Speaking after the debate, Mr Henderson said he was “disappointed” in the response.

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