Farmer must demolish castle he hid behind straw bales

Revealed: the castle, complete with ramparts and cannons, was uncovered in 2006 after being hidden for four years. It was built without planning permission
12 April 2012

A farmer who secretly built a castle and lived in it for four years while it was hidden behind bales of straw was ordered to demolish it by a High Court judge today.

Robert Fidler hid the mock Tudor house behind hay bales stacked 40ft high while it was being built in an attempt to avoid having to apply for planning permission.

The dream home — complete with ramparts and cannons — was constructed on the site of two grain silos at a cost of £50,000 at Honeycrock Farm in Salfords, Surrey.

Aware that he did not have, and was unlikely to get, planning approval, it was concealed behind hundreds of 8ft by 4ft bales of straw and the top covered with a blue tarpaulin.

Mr Fidler, 60, and his wife Linda, 40, even kept their son Harry away from playschool on the day he was due to paint a picture of his home in class in case he drew a big blue haystack and teachers started asking questions.

Then in August 2006 Mr Fidler ripped down the disguise and the castle was revealed in all its glory. He applied for a certificate of lawfulness on grounds that it must now be lawful having stood for four years without any objections.

But Reigate and Banstead Council decided that the four-year rule was void because nobody had been given a chance to see the castle. In March 2007 planners issued an enforcement order demanding the castle be demolished.

Today Deputy High Court judge Sir Thayne Forbes backed the council in ruling that Mr Fidler was not entitled to benefit from his attempt to deceive the local authority.

"The inspector's findings were clearly ones he was entitled to reach on the evidence," said the judge.

"It fully justified his conclusions that the erection and removal of the bales formed part of the totality of the building operations that Mr Fidler originally contemplated and intended to carry out.

"The inspector was plainly right to reach the conclusion that he did."

Mr Fidler was not in court for the judgement. In the past he has ­condemned the council, saying: "I can't believe they want to demolish this beautiful house. To me they are no ­different than vandals who just want to smash it down."

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