A 77-year-old pensioner has spent 14 years defying a council order to demolish his £500,000 home, built illegally on greenbelt land, and has secured yet another delay in court proceedings. Peter Dick constructed the red-brick chalet bungalow, named Longcroft, on his land in West Parley, Dorset, in 2010 without obtaining planning permission from the local council.
Mr. Dick's attempts to gain retrospective planning consent in October 2012 were unsuccessful, leading to a demolition order being issued in December of that year. He ignored this order, and subsequent appeals against both the enforcement notice and the planning decision were dismissed in 2013. In 2019, he again disregarded a legal order, asserting that the property should be protected under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, citing his right to a private life and home, and Article 3, concerning the right not to be treated in an inhumane or degrading way.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council took Mr. Dick to court in 2021, where he was found guilty of failing to comply with the demolition order. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs. Despite this ruling, the property remained standing, and Mr. Dick was brought back to court in 2023. He admitted to a further breach of the enforcement order and was fined an additional £7,500, with costs of £3,269. It is unclear if these payments have been made.
The council initiated legal action again in July 2024, marking a third breach of the notice. BCP Council's prosecution, launched nearly two years prior, has yet to reach a resolution. A trial initially set for November 2024 was postponed, and a new date set for August 2025 was also adjourned. During the most recent hearing, the case was again adjourned at the defense's request for more 'legal advice,' despite Mr. Dick having had 20 months since entering a not guilty plea to secure representation. A new trial date has been scheduled for March 2027, which will be 17 years after the bungalow's construction.
At a previous hearing, Mr. Dick stated that the bungalow was built to accommodate his wife, who suffers from degenerative muscular dystrophy, and that its layout was specifically designed for her needs. Mr. Dick and his wife continue to reside in the illegal bungalow, which they have fortified with an 8-foot high padlocked gate and barbed wire. IMAGE5
On Mr. Dick's land, there is a steel-clad industrial warehouse that was converted to residential use in 2003 and has since been declared 'lawful.' The couple lived in this structure until the illegal bungalow was built. Last year, Mr. Dick applied to demolish the steel warehouse and replace it with a brick-built home, but this application was refused due to being considered inappropriate development harmful to the green belt.
Some neighbors have expressed indifference to the property, with one stating it doesn't cause any harm and questioning the council's focus on individuals over larger developers. A spokesperson for BCP Council stated that they cannot comment on live court cases and declined to provide further information citing data protection.