'illegal' mock-Tudor castle he tried to hide behind 40ft hay bales

needabed

Since nobody complained about the hay he could build a hay castle...

vuvuzela

From the link above :
"Mr Fidler said: "Three independent agricultural advisors, two of which have been employed by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, one of which was employed by me, have all come to the conclusion that there's an essential need for the farmer to live permanently on the site. "This is because I have a herd of suckled Sussex cattle; in excess of 100 cattle.
"Despite these findings, the Reigate and Banstead planning officers, or the planning committee, seem determined to have the only house on Honeycrock Farm demolished and this refusal is to be heard by the inspectorate at this appeal.""


I agree that a farmer should have a house. However on several occasions this particular house has been ruled to have been illegally built. He should have built something that complied. I hope it gets knocked down.

Davesnave

vuvuzela wrote: »

I agree that a farmer should have a house. However on several occasions this particular house has been ruled to have been illegally built. He should have built something that complied. I hope it gets knocked down.

It will be knocked down.

Then Mr Fidler can do what all the other landowners without a farmhouse do: submit an outline plan to build something appropriate to the purpose, and in keeping with the area. It's really not that hard, if he has a genuinely viable business.

Errata

Mr Fidler doesn't need to keep cattle on his farm, ergo he doesn't need to live on it.

patman99

The mad thing is, if he had lived on the site in something not originally designed as a living unit (i.e. a converted shipping container), then he would have earned the right to build whatever he wanted to (i.e. his castle) without planning permission being required.

What he did was to look at a shorter term solution. Hence building a house inside a haystack. He forgot that the 4 year rule only applies when the house can actually be seen.

Davesnave

patman99 wrote: »

The mad thing is, if he had lived on the site in something not originally designed as a living unit (i.e. a converted shipping container), then he would have earned the right to build whatever he wanted to (i.e. his castle) without planning permission being required.

Can you point me to this piece of legislation which enables farmers to build whatever they like?

I have always understood that, in the case of farms of 15 acres or more, outbuildings required for the running of the farm may be constructed after giving 2 weeks notice to the council of the intention to commence building. However, a castle or dwelling house would not qualify as an outbuilding.

The-Joker

Is it still there?

If so what is the latest thing that is cartain that it will have to come down this time.

In a few years there will another thing that no really this time it will have to come down. Just as people were saying 5 years ago,

Ozzuk

I'm sure I read somewhere that his 'final' appeal will happen around November 4th and stems from a need to live close to suckling cattle that are now at the property.

sabretoothtigger

However, a castle or dwelling house would not qualify as an outbuilding.

Years ago then, instead of the heavy handed approach they should have told him to compromise and convert the building into agricultural use.

No doubt they feel he cant be allowed to win as its so profitable to use green belt type land for residential purpose. Well that idea would meet both needs.
A farmer should be allowed to farm his land in peace and run a business, too much of the uk is importing, borrowing money, reselling it.
We do actually need to make stuff too maybe even export. At some point that'll be a necessity and they'll become more amiable to natural expansion - but not today

The-Joker

sabretoothtigger wrote: »

Y

No doubt they feel he cant be allowed to win as its so profitable to use green belt type land for residential purpose.

He has won. Yes there will be ongoing legal proceedings and every now and then you will hear this time it will come down for sure, but this is what you have been hearing for years now. He has won end of story.