Is that a castle you're hiding behind that haystack?

[willriker]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2062/...2ced63b237.jpg
Enlarge Gareth Fuller/PA Wire/APRobert Fidler built this castle near Surrey, England, and kept it hidden behind haystacks for years to take advantage of a loophole in British law. But on Wednesday, a judge ruled that it be demolished.

Gareth Fuller/PA Wire/APRobert Fidler built this castle near Surrey, England, and kept it hidden behind haystacks for years to take advantage of a loophole in British law. But on Wednesday, a judge ruled that it be demolished.
text sizeAAAFebruary 3, 2010
A British farmer who secretly built a castle and hid it behind haystacks to avoid trouble from local planning authorities was ordered by a court Wednesday to demolish it.

Farmer Robert Fidler built the mock Tudor castle in Surrey and moved into with his family in 2002.

He says he had applied in 1996 to build a house on his farmland, but the authorities wouldn't grant him permission. So, when he and his wife were feeling "desperate," they found a loophole in the British law.

"There is no law against building a house anywhere on your own property," Fidler tells NPR's Robert Siegel. "But you take a risk. If the local authorities don't like it, they can ask to have it demolished. Now, there is another provision that they only have four years in which to make that order. Interestingly, there is no rule or no law or no clause which prevents you from concealing the property, or hiding it."

Fidler, who is a hay and straw dealer, says that is why he and wife decided to take an "extraordinary risk" and build a house on their farm away from the road that couldn't be seen "unless you flew in a helicopter." They stacked large bales of hay to hide its construction for two years.


Obviously, we had to leave a gap in the bales to be able to get all of the building materials in and for us to be able to move in and out.


- Robert Fidler
"Obviously, we had to leave a gap in the bales to be able to get all of the building materials in and for us to be able to move in and out," he says.

He says the castle is "terribly large," with two round turrets, a kitchen and a main bedroom.

A very limited number of people — very close family and friends — knew the whole truth about their home, he says. Fidler and his wife went to such extreme lengths to keep the home hidden that they kept their son from going to preschool the day he was supposed to draw his home.

"We thought it was unwise to let him go to school that day in case he drew a stack of hay," Fidler says.

The home was hidden well. While the building was under construction, the local government sent someone to look for the building, and couldn't find it, Fidler says.

It was "certainly not high enough where you couldn't have bent a ladder against and climbed over it and looked over the top," he says.

The court ruled that the four-year limit on ordering a demolition did not apply in this case in that Fidler could not benefit from his deception.

More On Castles
See a map of American castles and their histories.

American CastlesFidler, who has vowed to appeal the decision, is confident he won't have to tear down his home.

"We believe that God is involved in our case," he says. "The [authorities] were unable to find it because it was protected. And that's why we believe that this house or this castle — or whatever you want to call it — will stand here forever."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=123333892

tl;dr
farmer wants to build his own castle.
people ignore his paper work
he makes a ring of haystacks, to hide his work as he builds his own castle
he lives in castle for 4 years, some statute that limits peoples right to complain wears off
he takes away haystacks, now they want to get him to tear it down
farmer is currently in appeal

My question is how are people ok with a giant haystack the size of a castle... but not ok with a castle? Also, how the hell does an inspector not notice a castle... covered in straw... when they went to look for it? This is very weird to me, why make such a big deal out of some dude who wants to build a castle, if anything i think its pretty awesome.

[Airenn]

you're

[Tyche]

Very very ofn

[barber2006]

He built it. They want to demolish it. Now its up to him to defend it.

[Airenn]

He built it. They want to demolish it. Now its up to him to defend it.

I read this in a movie announcer's voice.

[Kurokikaze]

Omfg same. rofl

[ikariiiii]

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/ob...oxart_160w.jpg

based on a true story

[Cleverness]

He built it. They want to demolish it. Now its up to him to defend it.

/endthread

[willriker]

:O this is old news? gdi, i just found out about this listening to npr on my way home today... its still on the main page of thier website.

how old is this news? lol

[Khamsin]

:O this is old news? gdi, i just found out about this listening to npr on my way home today... its still on the main page of thier website.

how old is this news? lol

The farmer once had raptor jesus over for tea and crumpets.

[Baelorn]

Hidden castle must be demolished, court rules
A farmer who secretly built a castle hidden behind bales of straw has lost a High Court bid to save it from being demolished.
By Martin Evans
Published: 3:57PM GMT 03 Feb 2010

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/m...e_1571115c.jpg
A general view of a castle-like home on the grounds of Honeycrock Farm, Axes Lane, Salfords, Surrey which was built by Robert Fidler without planning permission Photo: OLI SCARFF

Robert Fidler, 60, took two years and £50,000 to covertly complete his dream home which boasts ramparts and cannon.

But because the property in Salfords, Surrey, was built without planning permission, he kept it hidden for four years in the hope of circumventing the law.



However, a judge ruled that he was not entitled to benefit from his deception of the local planning authority and the building must come down.

Mr Fidler, who lives in the castle with his wife Linda, 40 and their eight-year-old son Harry, was considering a further appeal.

The family moved into the building in 2002, but kept it hidden from Reigate & Banstead Borough Council for four years by surrounding it with bales of hay and a large tarpaulin.

In May 2006 Mr Fidler removed the bales believing his new home had become immune from planning enforcement controls as it had stood for four years without anyone objecting to it.

But in the High Court judge Sir Thayne Forbes ruled that the removal of the hay bales and tarpaulin constituted part of the building works and therefore the four year immunity rule did not apply.

The judge said: "In my view, the inspector's findings of fact make it abundantly clear that the erection/removal of the straw bales was an integral – indeed an essential 'fundamentally related' – part of the building operations that were intended to deceive the local planning authority and to achieve by deception lawful status for a dwelling built in breach of planning control."

Mr Fidler's solicitor, Pritpal Singh Swarn, said his client was considering appealing the decision given that losing the case would lead to him losing his home.

He said: "Mr Fidler and his family have lived in their home for over five years. Planning legislation states that if someone has substantially completed a property for more than four years, then they are immune from having the property knocked down.

"This case hinges on whether or not the removal of the bales of hay – which were already in position before construction had started – were necessary for the house to be completed.

"We can't understand how that could be. Any building professional would tell you that the removal of a haystack could play no part in any construction process, let alone the erection of a dwelling."

He added: "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."

Sucks.

[Cantih]

I can't decide which is more evil, UK planing councils or US homeowners associations.

[willriker]

Robert Fidler, 60, took two years and £50,000 to covertly complete his dream home which boasts ramparts and cannon.

the dude has cannons and a moat!

[Valkrish]

wow, never heard of this one.

Or heard of someone actually putting their hand at masonry to BUILD a castle.

[Cleverness]

Seriously though, building a castle in this day and age is pretty awesome. Should have definitely put in a giant moat + drawbridge though, tell those fuckers then to come and try to demolish the castle.

[Airenn]

lol changed thread title :D

[jimbobsonofgod]

I guess removing the hay, was the last Straw.

[Cantih]

you forgot the sunglasses
but win

[Cesaria]

It's old news cos the case has been running via appeals, appeals against the appeal etc for about 2 years or so - and there was another hearing in the last few days - hence it reappearing in the media now. I hadn't heard about it before to be honest either till I saw it on the BBC site yesterday.

[Chicomagiko]

Can we just block all of Britfaggia from posting here?