A FARMER who built a covert castle on his land has vowed to take his fight to keep it all the way to Europe.
Robert Fidler, who hid his secret citadel behind stacks of straw for four years before unveiling it to the world in 2006, could only sit and listen as Reigate and Banstead Borough Council's planning committee shot down his hopes of receiving retrospective planning permission last week.
Speaking after the authority's decision to reject his latest application, the father of six, who lives in the castle in Honeycrock Farm, Salfords with his wife Linda and son Harry, blamed the council for his situation.
"The previous owners [of the land] sold off two cottages, but Reigate [and Banstead Borough Council] should have stopped that from going on," claimed Mr Fidler. "They let them sell off the buildings and left us with nothing. I put a mobile home in and eventually they told me that had to go."
According to Mr Fidler, he submitted an application for development in 1998. When he was continually told his application was being looked at, he decided to take matters into his own hands and started to build the castle.
Speaking about his previous application, he said: "That was shelved for nine years until 2007, until they saw my new house. They failed to deal with the application for nine years. They kept telling me it was recommended for approval but they kept waiting.
"All I wanted was a home to bring up my family in. All I wanted was a nice home to bring up my kids, look after my cattle and work on my farm."
Mr Fiddler said he was even more confused by the decision to refuse planning permission last week when, at the same meeting, the council approved an application for him to build an agricultural barn on the site.
"Do you know any farm that's not allowed a house? They say there's justification to build a house for the cows but not the people who look after them."
And while he admits he may not have gone about things in the best way, he has vowed to keep on fighting for his home – for as long as it takes.
"We know there's no debate that that house will be our house for the rest of our lives," he said. "We believe we've done nothing wrong and if necessary we'll go to Europe. We'll appeal through the proper channels because this whole situation is wrong."
Speaking out against granting planning permission and echoing the opinion of his fellow councillors, committee member John Stephenson said: "It's been to how many courts and we are back again. It clearly isn't a needed development."
Councillor Sam Walsh: "I don't believe that us supporting this application would be right."
