Redcliffe Railway cutting - possible development

**Please see our new GoFundMe page for an important update on this by following this link or going to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/redcliffe-railway-cutting-court-proceedings**

The owner of the Redcliffe railway cutting at Guinea St in Redcliffe is making preparations to develop the railway cutting into a large building of considerable height, and filling the entire space.

The owner has written to a number of residents at Barossa Place serving notice upon them that, in law, he has now erected a building of "unlimited height" at the Redcliffe railway cutting. If this goes unchallenged, the implication is the land owner could then try to get planning permission for an over-sized building, and then block all the light to these residents around the railway cutting without any consequence.

The legislation used is section 2 of the Rights of Light Act 1959, and the certificate against Barossa Place was issued by the Upper Tribunal in August 2023. If you wern't familiar with this, or the Prescription Act of 1832, neither were we until we received the letter!

In response, the residents of Barossa Place and Alfred Place have instructed a lawyer to fight against this. We have found a specialist in the Rights of Light Act, and their fees are estimated to be £4,750 - £6,000.

If we do nothing, the residents who had the notice served on them will have surrendered their right to light, paving the way for a large-scale planning application on the railway cutting.

We are aware there are a number of people around the Redcliffe railway cutting that are interested in preserving it as an important historical asset, and preserving a key breathing space or 'lung' in what is a densely populated area in Redcliffe.

The Redcliffe railway tunnel and cutting are an enormous feat of engineering dating from 1868, helping to create the Bristol harbourside as we know it today, forming the crucial link for goods between London and America via the harbour railway. Charles Richardson, the engineer, built the Severn Tunnel (the longest under water tunnel for over 100 years), helped Brunel build the Great Western Railway and the Clifton suspension bridge, and also invented the modern cricket bat. The tunnel and cutting were placed on the Bristol 'Local list of valued buildings' in 2020.

We are asking anyone who wishes to preserve the railway cutting to donate towards our legal fees. We are appointing Naylor Solicitors LLP to object to the Light Obstruction Notice issued by the landowner.

If the owners of properties at Barossa Place and Alfred Place can prove they have a right to light, this would help prevent development from taking place in the railway cutting, in perpetuity.

One of the notices issued to residents are below. Other properties have also been served this notice. Zoom into the images to read.