Charity regulator finds Trevalga Estate Trust has right to sell

Residents of Trevalga fear the sale could lead to them being evicted

The charity regulator has determined the trustees of an estate in Cornwall have the right to sell it.

Residents of Trevalga are fighting the sale, believing it goes against the wishes of previous owner Gerald Curgenven set out in his will in 1959.

The Charity Commission said it had met trustees and decided they had "demonstrated... it is within their powers to sell the Trevalga estate".

Residents said they planned to continue "efforts to halt the sale".

Serena Partrick, campaign co-ordinator, said: "Gerald Curgenven's express wish was that Trevalga's special, unspoilt beauty should be preserved intact for the benefit of future generations and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that wish is honoured."

Mr Curgenven, the last lord of the manor, bequeathed the estate to the Trevalga Estate Trust to maintain it for future generations, with its profits to go to Marlborough College.

The estate near Boscastle includes a manor house, six farms and 17 homes

The Charity Commission met the trustees of the Trevalga estate and determined their decision to sell was made "independently and in compliance with their legal duties".

The trustees say it is the best chance of protecting tenancies and the estate's character, but residents fear they could be evicted.

Tracy Howarth, assistant director of casework at the Charity Commission, said: "This has been a period of great uncertainty and anxiety for the residents of Trevalga and I know also that this outcome will come as a further disappointment for those impacted.

"However, we must be led by the law when making decisions on regulatory matters. In this case, we are satisfied that the trustees' decision-making and the process followed have complied with the law and our guidance. It is therefore right that we have concluded our case."