Cottage on cliff-edge to go up for sale

A house that has seen part of its garden crumble away in a cliff fall is set to go under the hammer.

The cliff-top house was designed and built in the 1960s for novelist RF Delderfield and is to be auctioned with a guide price of £250,000.

It is situated on Peak Hill Road overlooking Jacob's Ladder Beach, which has been closed until at least 2027.

Estate agents Bradleys said the three-bed and two-bathroom property suffered in recent years after a cliff fall within the very far boundary of the garden, and that a full cliff survey was within its legal pack. East Devon District Council said people on the beach should stay away from the cliff.

Estate agent Ben Morgan, in charge of the sale, also sold when it was last on the market in 2011.

He said: "It's very kind the current owner came back.

"Since we sold it, there has been a cliff fall on the very far boundary - there is 40ft (12m) of garden before you get to that cliff edge.

"But transparency is so important for us... The owner's been great. She's got a full cliff survey done, which we've got available within the legal pack."

Morgan said recent cliff falls along that stretch were not believed to be linked to the specific section of coast where the house is sited.

He added: "It could be a very, very long time before you need to have any concerns about the cliff wall, but we would just urge buyers to read it [the legal pack], get their own independent advice, and make a view on it from there.

He acknowledged it would "be something which people think could be a big issue", which was why the guide price has been set "as low as we can".

On cliff falls in the area, and precautions in place, East Devon Council said: "The cliffs are formed from soft rock, which means rock falls and landslides can happen at any time.

"We carry out annual cliff inspections at Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Seaton and Sidmouth. These include removing loose material and carrying out safety works where needed.

"The cliff where the property is located does not belong to us and not part of our monitoring programme."

It added: "To protect beach users, we provide safety signage at all council-managed beaches.

"Coastguards advise people to stay at least the height of the cliff away from it.

"For example, if a cliff is 20m [66ft] high, people should keep at least 20m away.

"If a cliff fall occurs and someone may have been injured, call 999 immediately. Do not go near or explore recent cliff falls."

Morgan added: "I think we're getting a real buzz about it... We're getting loads of phone calls.

"You get lovely valley views going back across Sidmouth, you can see towards Portland Bill.

"It's probably one of the best views you can get along that coastline."

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