Farmer fears for future after demolition order

A farmer says he has been left fearing for his future after a council ordered him to demolish outbuildings he said he built to diversify his business.

Oakley Whilock spent the last five years developing his farm at Dilhorne, Staffordshire, by constructing barns, offices and a farm shop.

But he said he had been given six months to tear them down, after retrospective planning permission was refused by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

The authority said the buildings were built without planning permission on green belt land and were not being used solely for agricultural purposes.

The family-run farm said it had already spent more than £60,000 on planning applications and consultations.

"I did put planning applications in," Whilock claimed.

"We never heard anything from the council, so after 28 days if you've not heard from them you've automatically got the permission."

Most planning applications in England and Wales are decided upon within eight weeks, 56 days, but large or complex ones can take up to 13 weeks, according to government advice.

If decisions take longer, applicants can appeal.

He said the authority had also refused three applications for a barn where he housed his 80 water buffalo in winter, even when they were calving.

"They refused that three times to say we haven't got a need for it," he added.

Whilock claimed they were advised a planning application was also not necessary for a farm shop to sell their own produce, an extension of an existing building, but this had also been ordered taken down, along with offices for staff.

Codi Chapman, who runs the shop, said: "We just want it to be a place and a hub that local people can come and try all local products, and then to watch it be torn down is soul-destroying really."

Two enforcement notices were served on the site last year, in relation to the buildings and their uses.

The owner appealed to the government but the council said the notices were upheld, with a government inspector, who visited the farm in April, adding that the buildings would result in the site being "more akin to a small business park".

But he added there was no reason for the agricultural activities to stop.

"I'm struggling to understand some of it," Whilock added.

"They're saying carry on rearing the water buffalo but where do you want me to put them in winter, where do you want me to sell the meat if you're getting rid of the farm shop?"

A spokesperson for the district council said they encouraged farms to diversify, but Oakleys Farm was located in the green belt, where other forms of commercial development were not permitted.

"A number of buildings have been erected at the site without planning permission, some of which have been subject to planning applications which have been refused on the basis that there was no agricultural justification for them given that existing buildings were being utilised for non agricultural purposes," it said.

The authority added a number of non-agricultural uses were also introduced at the site, including the storage and sale of builder's materials, garden and landscaping materials and food products.

"No planning application was made for these uses," a spokesperson added.

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