Honeycrock Farm

Honeycrock Farm
Honeycrock Farm, April 2012
Honeycrock Farm
General information
Status	Demolished
Type	House
Architectural style	Mock Tudor
Location	Honeycrock Farm
Address	Axes Lane
Town or city	Salfords, Surrey
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°12′16″N 0°9′00″W / 51.20444°N 0.15000°W / 51.20444; -0.15000
Demolished	2016
Owner	Robert Fidler
Technical details
Floor count	Two
Known for	Being built without planning permission
Other information
Number of rooms	Four bedrooms
Grid Reference TQ 293 466

Honeycrock Farm in Salfords, Surrey was the site of a Mock Tudor castle that was built without planning permission c.2001. Following a lengthy battle with Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, the building was demolished in 2016.

The house

Robert Fidler built a house on his property, Honeycrock Farm, Salfords, Surrey c.2001.^[1] No planning permission had been obtained for the construction of the property. A planning application had been lodged with Reigate and Banstead Borough Council for the conversion of a cowshed to residential use. Fidler claimed that the council had two months to respond to the application and had failed to do so. Therefore, he built the house and disguised it as a large haystack for four years, claiming that if the building managed to stand for that period of time without objection, then it was legally allowed to remain.^[2]

Planning battle

In August 2006, the haystack around the house was removed and the council became aware of the existence of the property. By January 2008, they had told him to demolish it, a move that was resisted by Fidler.^[2] In 2010,^[3] the Appeal Court later ruled that because the building had been deliberately concealed, the four-year period only began once the building had been revealed, and that the council's objections were within the time allowed for such objections.^[1] Fidler was ordered to demolish the building.^[3]

In February 2014, a retrospective planning application was made for the property. This application was refused in April. In June, the council obtained an injunction ordering Fidler to comply with enforcement notices and demolish the building.^[3]

In April 2015, Fidler accepted that the building had to be demolished.^[4] The High Court ordered that the building be demolished by 24 June 2015, but this was not done.^[5] In August, the council lodged a claim of contempt of court against Fidler.^[6] Fidler was subsequently found to be in contempt of court and was given a three-month suspended prison sentence. He was ordered to demolish the building by 6 June 2016.^[7] On 3 June 2016, it was reported that the building had been largely demolished. The council stated that it would apply to the court for a one-month extension to allow Fidler to finish off the removal of the building's patio and garden.^[8]

References