Click photo to enlarge
Robert Fidler stands outside his castle home at Salfords,
England.(AP Photo/Gareth Fuller-pa)
A man's home is his castle - but not if British
authorities say it has to be destroyed.
That's the situation faced by Robert Fidler, a farmer who
lost a High Court bid today to protect the once-secret castle
he built 65km south of London and kept hidden from planning
authorities.
The adverse decision means Fidler's roof must come down. He
has one year to comply unless an appeal is successful.
To keep prying eyes from noticing his unauthorised abode,
Fidler placed bales of hay and tarpaulin around his dream
home in Salfords, Surrey, authorities said. The court ruled
he could not benefit from his deception.
Mike Miller, a chief planner with the Reigate and Banstead
Borough Council, said the council was delighted with the
decision, which it viewed as a vindication of the decision to
challenge Fidler in court.
"This was a blatant attempt at deception to circumvent the
planning process," he said, adding that Fidler now has one
year to destroy the castle, remove the ruins and return the
property to its original state.
The unusual castle, complete with cannon, ramparts and
stained glass, was completed in 2002 and Fidler lived there
with family for more than four years before the authorities
started legal action against him.
Fidler, who has had disagreements with planning authorities
before, anticipated that his request for permission to build
the castle would be denied, so he tried to take advantage of
a rule that allows a structure to be legalised if it has been
lived in for four years.
Fidler's lawyer, Pritpal Singh Swarn, said the decision will
go to the Court of Appeal because it raised important
planning issues. A further appeal to European courts is
possible if British courts again reject Fidler's bid to
legitimise his castle.
He said Fidler was extremely disappointed with the ruling and
no local residents had complained about the castle.
"It has been pursued at the expense of the taxpayer which we
find deeply regrettable - but Mr. Fidler will continue to
fight for the right to live in his home," the lawyer said.
Authorities said he incorporated two grain silos into the
design, covering them with material to give them a
castellated appearance.
"Mr Fidler made it quite clear that the construction of his
house was undertaken in a clandestine fashion," the court
ruled.
