'Britain's only desert' sells for £1.5 million
A shingle beach in Kent, dubbed 'Britain's only desert' by the Met Office, has been sold to EDF Energy for more than £1.5 million.
The Dungeness Estate, which sits on 468 acres, had been up for sale since August.
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The energy company, which owns Dungeness B nuclear power station adjacent to the estate, had been paying £100,000 a year to use shingle from the beach to protect the power station.
Maurice Ede, trustee for the estate, told the Daily Telegraph: "After the decision was made to sell the estate, it was important the purchaser would have the ability, track record and correct intentions of maintaining an estate such as this. We are very happy to be passing that responsibility to EDF Energy."
There are 99 homes on the estate and, according to the Guardian, the local residents' association expressed concern "that the sale could adversely affect the many human creatures who live on the estate too, to the detriment of their livelihoods and their peaceful enjoyment of their homes."
But Dungeness B Station director Martin Pearson told the BBC: "Dungeness B has been a huge part of the community for over 30 years; many of our employees live in the area and we bring business to local suppliers.
"We've always worked alongside the local community to preserve and enhance this unique environment and EDF Energy is committed to this."
The estate comes with a cottage where film director Derek Jarman lived before his death in 1994.
There is also a pub, two lighthouses and a fishing fleet on the estate.
The area, which is mainly formed of the shingle beach, has become an unlikely tourist destination, attracting around a million visitors every year.
Dungeness has appeared in music videos for the Lighthouse Family, the Thrills, and the Prodigy, and also featured in the 1981 film Time Bandits.
What's more, it featured on the cover of Pink Floyd's 1981 album A Collection of Great Dance Songs.
