Outrage as couple 'forced' to sell dream £1.8m farm house after one noise complaint
Problems started for Richard and Victoria Kerrison five years ago - now the couple are packing up and moving on.
A couple have claimed they were forced to sell their £1.85million dream farm home and were saddled with a legal bill of £90,000 after a single complaint from a neighbour.
Problems started for Richard and Victoria Kerrison five years ago when a neighbour complained that the water supply from the borehole they shared had deteriorated.
The woman also raised concerns to the council about noise disturbances such as car doors allegedly slamming, children playing, people talking and loud music at the property which was being partially rented out to holiday makers.
The inquiry led North Norfolk Council to investigate the legitimacy of the rental use, leading to a planning dispute, which ended with the government's Planning Inspectorate ruling they did not have permission to use Roundabout Farm as holiday lets.
The Kerrisons spent £90,000 arguing planning permission was not needed to use a property as a holiday let, but it was in vain.
The ruling means they have been ordered to stop using a barn conversion as a bed and breakfast for up to 10 people, as holiday accommodation by November.
Mrs Kerrison, 62, said: "One person's opinion and a swipe of the pen has written us off.
"We've spent all this time building up a really good and solid business and we worked hard to keep it going. It all started with a letter from the council when they said it had been reported to them that someone was living unlawfully on the Farm.
"There has been no contravene of planning - thousands of people in the UK rent out their houses as an Air BnB. There were three meetings through an enforcement panel and all of those meetings ended with 'Do not have enough evidence to enforce'.
"The last meeting was two weeks before it was enforced. We had no idea it would go this far. When the council originally said there had been a complaint, we were really surprised."
The couple bought the farm in 1997 and transformed it from into a place of "peace and tranquillity" for holidaymakers.
They have run the Farm as a barn conversion and bed and breakfast open to guests since 2007 - with their Courtyard Barn sleeping up to 10 guests.
The couple, who moved a hot tub further from the neighbour and had rules for guests, such as not going outside after 10pm, are convinced that the fault lies with the council for turning a noise dispute into a planning matter.
They even gained support from another neighbour, Lady Anwen Hurt, the widow of BAFTA-winning actor John Hurt, who provided testimony to prove the building had been used as a home for more than ten years.
This was also in vain as they were told the Courtyard Barn had breached planning rules and they were told to cease using it as a holiday let by November.
They have now decided to sell the property due to the loss of earnings from rentals.
They said: "We have to think, can we afford to still live here or do we move away? It is sad you can have your life wiped out like that.
"If we can sell, we will go. But if not, we'll have to rethink what we're doing next. We could consider a short term tenancy agreement for the converted barn. But that's okay as long as you get the right neighbours."
A North Norfolk District Council spokesperson said the council fully accepts and respects the decisions made by the Government’s Independent Planning Inspector regarding this case in May.
They pointed to the Planning Inspectorate verdict which said: "The council notes that in reaching their decisions on the matter, the Planning Inspector commented: 'From the evidence, it is apparent that the local planning authority took time to diligently investigate and carefully consider whether to enforce.
"They undertook several site visits, asked appropriate questions, offered advice and monitored the situation at length, thereby gathering significant evidence before proceeding.
“The Appellants have not demonstrated that the LPA has behaved unreasonably. Therefore, unreasonable behaviour resulting in unnecessary or wasted expense has not occurred.”
The spokesperson said: "The council welcomes this conclusion. We would remind residents and businesses who own property or land in North Norfolk to always work with the council and go through the proper procedures when considering building and/or changing the use of land or buildings, to ensure adherence with UK planning law and regulations."
