Developer is prosecuted for bulldozing building in South Downs National Park

Developer is prosecuted for bulldozing building in South Downs National Park

August 2, 2021

A developer has been prosecuted after demolishing a historic and characterful cottage in the village of East Meon.

Mark Probyn pleaded guilty to breaching planning laws at Aldershot Magistrates Court on 19 May, following a prosecution brought by East Hampshire District Council and acting on behalf of the South Downs National Park Authority

He was ordered to pay more than £3,000 in fines and costs.

The brick-built cottage, at 2-3 Chapel Street, dated back to the late 1800s and was protected from demolition as part a Conservation Area.

Probyn, of Coombe Road, East Meon, flattened the building on 12 March 2020.

East Hampshire’s Planning Enforcement Officers carried out an investigation, which continued throughout the coronavirus lockdown, and brought the case to court.

Probyn pleaded guilty to a criminal offence under the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs and a £181 victim surcharge.

Cllr Ingrid Thomas, EHDC Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Quality, said: “It is very sad that this historic building has now gone forever and, although it will be replaced, it cannot be recreated.”

Mike Hughes, who heads the conservation team at the Authority, said: “The National Park has well over 160 Conservation Areas and each one contributes to the special qualities that makes the South Downs so unique and geographically distinct. This enforcement action shows just how seriously we will take planning breaches that harm historic buildings in conservation areas.”