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Cheshire farmhouse faces demolition after years of planning disputes
A Cheshire farmhouse is due to be demolished after years of legal challenges over whether it was built without planning permission on green belt land. Cheshire West and Chester Council said the work transformed a 19th-century barn into a new house, while its owner, retired builder Barry Devine, argued permission was not needed.
Devine bought the property at Dones View Farm in 2000 and spent 19 years converting it. He lost appeals to the Planning Inspectorate, High Court and Court of Appeal, but did not comply with the demolition order issued in 2019; he was later found guilty of breaching the enforcement notice. Demolition is scheduled to cost £20,000, with sentencing adjourned until 21 December and council inspectors due to check progress on 14 December.
In short
- Cheshire farmhouse faces demolition after planning dispute.
- Owner lost appeals over the green belt development.
- Demolition is estimated to cost £20,000.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The council’s case is that planning controls protect the green belt and ensure changes to buildings are assessed against consistent rules; allowing a development to remain after repeated unsuccessful appeals could weaken those protections. Enforcing the demolition order also upholds the authority of the planning process and treats landowners consistently, even when compliance is costly.
The case against
Devine’s position is that he believed planning permission was not required for his work, and a lengthy dispute ending in demolition raises questions about whether enforcement is proportionate after so much time and investment. A sympathetic view would favour exploring any lawful way to retain or adapt the building, while recognising that this must be weighed against the planning decisions and court rulings already made.
Explained simply
The dispute concerns planning rules, which require permission for many building projects and changes of use. Green belt land is protected from development to limit the spread of towns and cities, though some building work may be allowed under planning rules.
Cheshire West and Chester Council says a 19th-century barn at Dones View Farm was transformed into a new house without permission. The owner, retired builder Barry Devine, argued that permission was not needed; planning appeals and court challenges did not overturn the demolition order.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Demolition Day: This Cheshire farmhouse will be knocked down tomorrow after planners ruled it had been built illegally on green belt land”.