A young family is making a last-ditch effort to save its cherished “hobbit house” from the bulldozers after planners deemed it had to be razed.
Charlie Hague and Megan Williams used natural materials to lovingly build their roundhouse tucked away in south-west Wales. But the pair, both 27, applied for planning permission only after moving in with their newborn son, Eli, in 2012.
Though many local people did not even know the small building was there, planners ruled the house did not fit in with the surrounding Pembrokeshire countryside and decided it had to go.
Thousands of people around the world have expressed their support for Hague and Williams, and their planning appeal will be heard by a Welsh government inspector on Tuesday.
Williams said: “We have been blown away by the sustained interest from all over the world. We feel as prepared as possible for the appeal, and we hope the inspector will recognise the work we have put into our application, and consider it on its merits.”
Final fate of Pembrokeshire ‘Hobbit house’ to be decided after three-year battle http://t.co/IZqntsEEFP pic.twitter.com/DB5dSClPgK
— WalesOnline (@WalesOnline) May 19, 2015
The couple claim they could not afford to buy a conventional home in the area because prices are inflated by visitors buying holiday homes, so they built on land owned by Hague’s parents.
Hague, a carpenter and sculptor, said they had created the house to provide Eli, now almost three, with a healthy environment to grow up in. He said: “We were born in the area, went to school here, and have lived here all our lives.”
The couple’s hopes rest on their application meeting “one planet development” practice criteria – which require either 65% of all subsistence, or 30% of food and 35% of livelihood, to come from the land.
They argue they are reaching the targets by combining sales from Hague’s woodworking business with income generated by small-scale renewable energy on site, and a soft fruits dessert business. Williams sells raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, jostaberries, whitecurrants, redcurrants, strawberries and rhubarb.
She said: “We’ve built a sustainable home for our young family and are living lightly on the land and hope we will continue to be able to do so. We want to live an older and simpler way of life.”
The couple expect to hear the final decision at a later date. Before the meeting they thanked people for their support on their Facebook page: “Been busy in the sunshine – check out the polytunnel with new plastic all set to go with tomatoes galore. With the sunshine and warmth comes growth – mmmm strawberries. Thanks to all for continuing messages of support and strength – they will carry us through Tuesday.”
