Martin Clunes Faces Major Setback in Dorset Planning Dispute
Martin Clunes has suffered a significant defeat in his protracted campaign to prevent a New Age Traveller encampment from becoming a permanent fixture adjacent to his £5 million Dorset farmhouse. Planning officers from Dorset Council have formally recommended approving the contentious application submitted by his neighbours, Theo Langton and Ruth McGill, to transform their woodland plot into an official traveller pitch situated merely 300 yards from the Doc Martin star's residence.
Council Vote and Human Rights Considerations
Councillors are scheduled to vote on the proposal next week, and if they adhere to the official guidance, construction could commence without delay. Officials have argued that denying permission might infringe upon the couple's human rights, specifically their right to a family life and a home, despite vigorous objections from Mr Clunes and his wife, television producer Philippa Braithwaite. The couple have resided at Higher Meerhay Farm near Beaminster since 2007.
The proposed development would authorise a permanent mobile home, a touring caravan, and a van on the site, alongside permission for a small barn already utilised as a workshop. Mr Langton and Ms McGill have lived off-grid on the land since 2003 under successive temporary licences and formally applied for permanent status in 2022.
Clunes' Opposition and Legal Arguments
Martin Clunes, the 64-year-old star of Men Behaving Badly, has consistently and vehemently opposed the plans throughout the process. He enlisted a top planning barrister, and at one juncture, they characterised the couple as 'cynical and dishonest' regarding their application. Initially, they contended that the pair did not satisfy the legal definition of traveller status and thus had no entitlement to a full-time base there.
However, this assertion was rejected by Dorset Council's gypsy liaison officer, who confirmed that the couple have been integral members of the UK travelling community for three decades, regularly attending fairs to sell their goods. Mr Clunes also argued that there was nothing mobile about Mr Langton's and Ms McGill's 45ft by 16ft caravan, citing government guidelines that define a mobile home as a structure divisible into two parts and transportable on a 40ft trailer.
Engineering Assessment and Flood Risk
Mr Clunes accused his neighbours of 'cynically distorting' these guidelines by claiming their home was movable. Nevertheless, an engineer commissioned by Mr Langton and Ms McGill inspected the caravan and determined that the structure could indeed be split into two sections and removed using a standard articulated lorry trailer. Furthermore, Mr Clunes raised concerns about surface water flooding from runoff, but a comprehensive flood risk assessment concluded that the land is safe from such flooding for the next century.
Landscape and Planning Officer's Findings
The actor additionally claimed that the development would detrimentally impact the protected landscape, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Yet, council planning officers have dismissed these arguments. Dorset Council planning officer Bob Burden stated in his findings: 'The site is the family's home and whilst their children are now older, they clearly have a need for a settled base. Refusal of the application could therefore result in the loss of the family's home and so be an interference with their rights under article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.'
Addressing the authenticity of the couple as bona fide travellers, Mr Burden noted: 'The applicants' pattern of travelling ...continues to have an economic basis underlying the purpose of the travelling. As a result, officers consider that the applicants are travellers within the definition of the current government policy.' He also highlighted the 'significant shortage' of permanent traveller sites in Dorset as another rationale for granting planning permission.
Background and Community Support
Regarding Mr Clunes' apprehensions about the encampment marring the landscape, the officer remarked: 'Over time the applicants have carried out landscaping to help mitigate the site's impact.' He concluded: 'The site is considered appropriate for a permanent grant of permission.' Mr Clunes and Ms Braithwaite purchased the 130-acre estate from Mr Langton's mother, the renowned landscape gardener Georgia Langton, in 2007. Mr Langton acquired the adjacent woodland plot from his mother and has occupied it for 23 years, living without running water or electricity and employing a compost toilet.
The couple have become esteemed members of the local community, volunteering for numerous initiatives and garnering substantial support for their case, with several residents submitting letters in their favour. Betty Billington commented: 'The main objector (Mr Clunes) bought his property knowing that this family already occupied the land for residential use.'
Wider Objections and Upcoming Decision
In response, Mr Clunes' planning agent, Will Cobley, asserted: 'Our clients have lived at their property for many years and are concerned by the proposal, which seeks to authorise and intensify a nearby traveller use on a permanent basis.' Mr Clunes is not solitary in his opposition; Dinah Clarke, a resident of nearby Meerhay Manor, observed: 'Many people in Dorset would love to develop their own land to accommodate their own families but come up against strict planning permission especially in AONBs.'
Retired chartered surveyor James Green expressed fears that approval could set a precedent, enabling others to purchase land and pursue similar developments. He said: 'There are many young people in West Dorset who cannot afford to buy a property to live in, or even rent one. Obtaining a piece of land, and setting up as a New Age Traveller will be easy to achieve given the only test is to travel in search of seasonal employment or summer shows and festivals.' Members of Dorset Council will cast their votes on the application next week, determining the final outcome of this acrimonious planning dispute.
