Television star Martin Clunes has been defeated in his three-year legal campaign to prevent the establishment of a permanent travellers' site adjacent to his £5 million farmhouse in Dorset. The 64-year-old actor, renowned for his role as Dr. Martin Ellingham in ITV's Doc Martin series, had employed a barrister to contest the plans submitted by neighbours Theo Langton and Ruth McGill.
Council Approves Permanent Encampment
On Thursday, Dorset Council officials granted permission for the off-grid couple to convert their temporary woodland encampment into a permanent residential site. The approval includes provisions for two additional spaces to accommodate visiting caravans for family and friends. This development will be situated within a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, approximately 300 yards from Clunes' luxury residence near Beaminster.
Legal Arguments and Human Rights Considerations
During the council meeting, which was attended by Clunes and his wife Philippa Braithwaite, their planning barrister John Still KC argued that granting permission would be unlawful. He warned that the decision would establish a dangerous precedent, potentially encouraging others to bypass local planning regulations by purchasing land and establishing encampments.
Still described the situation as "wholly unfair" to law-abiding residents, noting that his clients had repeatedly requested council action against the encampment. However, councillors ultimately determined there was a "significant need" for traveller sites in Dorset, coupled with a substantial shortage of available pitches.
The committee also considered Mr. Langton and Ms. McGill's status as valued community members and talented artists who had exhibited their work at Clunes' own agricultural fair. Crucially, their right to family life under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act was cited as a compelling reason for approval.
The Off-Grid Lifestyle
Theo Langton, 56, and Ruth McGill, 52, have lived as New Age Travellers at the Meerhay site since 2003. They reside in a 45ft by 16ft static caravan under a rolling temporary licence, surviving without running water or electricity while utilizing a compost toilet. The couple purchased the plot from Langton's mother, landscape gardener Georgia Langton, who previously lived at nearby Meerhay Farm.
Their application for permanent permission, submitted in 2022, sought to retain their 42ft caravan while adding space for two touring vans. They also requested retrospective consent for an existing barn used as a workshop.
Community Division and Planning Debate
Martin Clunes, who acquired his £5m farmhouse from Georgia Langton in 2007, joined several local residents in opposing the plans. Objectors argued that the couple failed to meet the legal definition of traveller status and therefore had no entitlement to a permanent base. They further contended that establishing a travellers' site within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was entirely inappropriate.
At the Dorset County Hall meeting, retired chartered accountant James Green, representing local residents, asserted that approval would reward illegal activity and establish a dangerous precedent. He questioned why the applicants couldn't purchase or rent conventional housing locally, suggesting they were exploiting planning loopholes.
Planning officer Bob Burden presented a contrasting perspective, emphasizing the "significant unmet need" for gypsy and traveller sites in Dorset. He assured committee members that approval wouldn't set a precedent due to the specific circumstances of this case, describing the site as "very well ordered and very compact" with minimal visual impact.
Support and Final Decision
Reverend Jonathan Herbert, chaplain to gypsies and travellers at the Diocese of Salisbury, highlighted the need for 143 new pitches in Dorset over coming years, noting community hostility often impedes such developments. Local parish councillor Paula Tuff advocated strongly for the application, urging Dorset to support "everyone, not just the chosen few."
Planning agent Simon Ruston emphasized the importance of accommodating different lifestyles within the planning system, noting 47 letters of support and town council endorsement. Green councillor Belinda Bowden celebrated the applicants' "brave and innovative" approach to sustainable living, while Labour Councillor Kate Wheeler highlighted their long-term community integration and absence of anti-social behavior concerns.
Following these deliberations, councillors voted to approve the application. Martin Clunes declined to comment on whether he would appeal the decision, leaving the future of this contentious planning dispute uncertain.
