Farmer convicted of contempt for failing to remove unauthorized barn dwelling
Helen Lowe, a 59-year-old farmer in Darley Dale, Derbyshire, has been found guilty of contempt of court for failing to remove an unauthorised dwelling concealed inside an agricultural barn on her property. The dispute with Derbyshire Dales District Council began in 2020 and has involved multiple enforcement notices, a dismissed planning appeal, and a court order she did not comply with. Lowe faces sentencing on 18 August, with a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.
Helen Lowe, of North Park Farm, Whitworth Road, Darley Dale, was convicted of contempt of court following a trial at Nottingham County Court on 18 May after she repeatedly failed to comply with orders to demolish an unauthorised residential dwelling hidden inside an agricultural barn. Images of the structure show a house with windows and a staircase concealed within the barn, illustrating how the dwelling was deliberately obscured from detection. Derbyshire Dales District Council first served an enforcement notice in February 2020, and after Lowe's appeal to the Planning Inspectorate was dismissed in 2022, she was ordered to cease using the building as a dwelling and demolish the unlawful extension. A further court order in September 2024 was also ignored, prompting contempt proceedings. Lowe has pushed back strongly, citing health problems including a broken femur, hand operations, and the death of her mother as reasons for delays, and arguing that a 2024 amendment to permitted development rights — which relaxed rules on converting agricultural buildings to dwellings — would have legalised her structure had the council not served an injunction two months before the change came into force. The council defended its actions, stating the case demonstrates the serious consequences of ignoring planning rules, and was awarded £10,000 in costs.
What's missing
The specific nature of Lowe's claimed vulnerability, referenced in her statement to the BBC, is not elaborated upon in the sources.
What different sources said
- BBC Top StoriesCenter
'Hidden house' farmer slams contempt conviction
- BBCCenter
'Hidden house' farmer hits back after conviction
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