Artist faces homelessness as council orders home pulled down

The cabin functions as a living space and arts study for 39-year-old Isabel Rock. But now she faces homelessness as Wokingham Borough Council planning officers have ordered that the cabin be pulled down.

Ms Rock said: “I am so disappointed, but not surprised. The system doesn’t support local businesses and local people. People just don’t care, unless there is money involved.”

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The log cabin was constructed on land next to Ms Rock’s art studio at Loddon Park Farm, in New Bath Road, Twyford in 2019.  The farm was bought 40 years ago by Ms Rock’s parents – who then went on to develop a number of small business units on the site. The log cabin was created by extending a pre-existing “tea hut” situated on a field behind the businesses units.

However, Wokingham Borough Council officials said they had been alerted to the existence of the “suspicious” building.

Ms Rock said: “A man appeared at the door and said an anonymous message had been sent saying there was a log cabin cunningly concealed behind trees,”

She applied for retrospective planning permission, but this was turned down and lost an appeal to keep it this April. She now has six months to demolish her home.

Ms Rock said: “I built the cabin because I was in desperate need. I had nowhere to live and I needed to be near my studio, which has a certificate of lawful use. I simply cannot afford to rent anywhere around here.

“I knew I was taking a risk, but felt that people would understand what I was doing. I have a low income and thought there would be some sympathy out there.”

Ms Rock said she earns up to £12,000 a year buy selling her art.

According to the website MyHome.co.uk, the average rent in Twyford is £1,247 pcm, which is more than Ms Rock’s declared annual salary.

She added: “They are building new homes everywhere around here yet said our log cabin was against countryside development rules. We planted all the trees here, as it was just an empty field when my family bought it – all the environmental improvements are down to us.

“The whole system is stacked in favour of people who have lots of money. I don’t know where I am going to live. My whole future is now at risk.”

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The council has refused to reverse the decision to order the log cabin pulled down.

Councillor Wayne Smith, executive member for planning and enforcement said: “The council is committed to protecting the quality of its existing towns, villages and countryside by ensuring that new development is of the highest quality and that the things that make Wokingham borough one of the best places to live and work in the country are retained and enhanced. To do this, we take a robust approach to planning enforcement and compliance of our development regulations.

“To build a new house you need not only to follow the appropriate regulations, but you also need planning permission to ensure it is in a location suitable for new housing. In this case, two houses were built without planning permission in an area designated as countryside where we don’t generally grant planning permission for new houses.

“The owners have six months to comply with the enforcement notices. If they do not comply, the council will take further action.

“You cannot just build a house any where that you want one. Imagine what would happen if we all did that. We have planning rules and regulations to protect our towns, villages and countryside and we all have to abide by them.”

Cllr Smith was recently re-elected ward representative for Hurst in the 2021 Local Elections.

The decision to refuse Ms Rock’s appeal to keep her log cabin was taken by Government Planning Inspector Laura Renaudon. Ms Rock appealed on two occasions, one  against the decision to refuse retrospective planning permission for the log cabin, and the second time  against the enforcement notice to pull down the cabin issued by Wokingham Borough Council.