A PROPOSAL by English Heritage to protect the remains of an ancient boundary wall in East Cornwall which would effectively make the village 'frozen in time' is 'nonsensical', residents have claimed.

They fear the scheduling of the former deer park or 'Kerrybullock' boundary wall in Luckett, which extends to four miles, will put huge restrictions on any works to their homes and gardens.

Just putting up a fence or building a wall could be refused if English Heritage decides to designate the area as an ancient monument, they claim.

Historically, the deer park, used for hunting for sport, had covered some 400 to 450 acres and was first documented in 1215. In 1337 it passed to the Duchy of Cornwall and continued until 1542 when it was 'disparked' by Henry VIII. Since then it has been used as farmland.

Half of the boundary wall is within Deer Park Farm but it also takes in parts of Luckett, Broadgate and Old Mill.

Beef and sheep farmer Brian Howlett, who has farmed at Deer Park for 26 years, said not only would the designation hold up or restrict building works on the farm but the application for the scheduling had also questioned the integrity of the work he had done over the last five years to restore many of the walls and features of the farm.

He said:?'We embarked on an environmental stewardship scheme with Natural England to maintain and restore features and spent a quarter of a million of grant funding to do it.

'If the scheduling comes about any further work we wish to do will be restricted. Suddenly everything will be frozen in time, nothing will be restored and I will have to ask permission just to put up a stock-proof fence. Basically, anything that needs a hole dug deeper than 15 inches might disturb the monument.

'This place has been a farm longer than it was an ancient deer park and much of the boundary wall has gone over the centuries but all of a sudden it is being looked at in terms of national importance like Stonehenge.'

A public meeting in Luckett over the issue was attended by around 30 residents recently and feelings were expressed at a meeting of Stoke Climsland Parish Council which has yet to give its view.

The consultation period for people to express their views on the proposed designation ends next Wednesday (April 17).

Alan Woollcombe, whose house and garden fall within the proposed scheduled area, said: 'I am annoyed that I had to learn about this nonsensical proposal from neighbours rather than from English Heritage themselves.

'After reading their consultation report, it seems clear to me that English Heritage have found no evidence to support this application. Any traces of the medieval deer park have long since been wiped out by mining and other activities over the past 450 years. This whole process has been a needless waste of time and resources.'

English Heritage confirmed that they had been asked to look at whether the remains of the historic Kerrybullock Deer Park should be scheduled — the process through which nationally important sites and monuments are given legal protection; it is about keeping what has made that place historically important and special, not freezing a place in time.

Emily Gee, head of designation at English Heritage, told the Times: 'We are currently consulting the owners and other interested parties on the history and description of the site. When all relevant factors have been considered, our recommendation will go to the Department for Culture Media and Sport for a decision by the Secretary of State.

'Anyone who owns land that makes up part of a scheduled monument and wants to carry out work must apply to the Secretary of State first and we strongly advise owners to speak to their local English Heritage office for guidance before officially applying.

'Not all work has to be approved, however, and day to day gardening wouldn't need permission. However, gardening work that would need consent includes any works likely to disturb the soil below the depth of 30cm and any sub-soiling, drainage, the planting or uprooting of trees, hedges or shrubs and the stripping of top soil or tipping of soil.

'In other cases where the owner of a scheduled monument needs to use the land, such as for farming, we have worked with the owner to set up a management agreement. Such agreements clearly set out and agree works that can be carried out in a certain way so the land can be both used and protected.'