A couple who cleared out their retirement savings to build an illegal off-grid cabin in one of Britain’s most protected national parks say they are ‘devastated’ after planners ordered they knock it down.
Andrew and Debbie Melbourne insist they knew ‘nothing’ and were ‘led in blind’ about planning laws preventing the construction of their 1,200 sq ft fully insulated spruce cabin which boasts stunning views over the South Downs.
Following a complex planning investigation and abject fury from neighbours, the couple were pursued through the courts and now have two months to knock the vast single-storey structure down or face jail.
Speaking to MailOnline at their now partially-dismantled cabin near Waterlooville, in Hampshire, Debbie broke down in tears as she said: ‘It would have allowed us to foresee our dream. It was something for our boys and a legacy.
‘Normal people like us don’t know the laws of the land. At no point ever were we told about Article 4 restrictions or that this was in the national park.’
Andrew, 56, a former music teacher, added: ‘We were led in blind basically. It’s absolutely devastating, we spent two years researching what we could and couldn’t put on the land.
‘There were no disclosures that we were on the South Downs National Park. If we’d known we wouldn’t have bought it. Absolutely I regret it, I wouldn’t have done it, I’ve lost all my inheritance through this.
‘We’ve had loads of grief from the council, lies from the council. Half a dozen people up on the other side don’t like what we’re doing. I was a teacher in the area and they just want to discredit my name.’
Andrew and Debbie Melbourne insist they knew ‘nothing’ and were ‘led in blind’ about planning laws
The illegal off-grid cabin was erected in one of Britain’s most protected national parks
The couple were pursued through the courts and now have two months to knock the vast single-storey structure down or face jail
Andrew and Deborah Melbourne built the fully insulated home on their land west of Lovedean Lane in Waterlooville, a viewpoint across the South Downs National Park
The couple purchased their half-acre plot on land off Lovedean Lane last year for around £20,000 before buying a German-made prefabricated log cabin online for £25,000.
The site is one of over 80 individual plots on a controversial land banking scheme owned by Gladwish Land Sales, who once had their name emblazoned across a whopping 31 Non-League football teams and courted criticism in the early noughties through their fan-targeted matchday programme ads.
The concept sees developers buy a field before dividing it into smaller parcels and selling those off to buyers who are often told they will get planning in the future which may not be granted.
Andrew said he had never heard of land banking before and said he bought the land privately from the vendor.
The dad-of-two, who plays the trombone in local Ska and Jazz bands, insists there were no disclosures on the plot being inside a National Park or it being subject to an Article 4, which removes permitted development rights which allow certain types of minor building works to take place.
‘We had no idea we couldn’t do anything on this land, we had no idea it was part of the South Downs National Park, the maps are quite ambiguous, they are not very clear,’ Andrew added.
A quick Google search of the South Downs National Park boundaries takes you to an interactive map titled ‘Do I live in the National Park?’, it shows the Melbournes’ plot inside the boundary.
Building began without planning permission in April last year and saw the couple level a vast area at the top of their plot where the cabin now sits. Andrew reckons they removed well over ten tons of mostly chalk soil.
‘The whole idea was to start up a community garden, we wanted to put in the lodge so people could use it while working here,’ Andrew claims.
The cabin was up in five months and the couple say it would have been totally off-grid featuring a kitchen, office space, shower rooms, living quarters and a compostable toilet with its own on-site water supply.
In order to build the cabin, the couple bulldozed the hillside and scarred the landscape
A quick Google search of the South Downs National Park boundaries shows the hilltop firmly inside the park
The South Downs National Park (pictured) is England’s newest national park, designated on March 31, 2010
Despite the facilities to make the cabin habitable, the couple, who have lived in the area for 35 years, claim they had no intention of living in it.
As the project progressed, trees were cut down and a garden which slopes down the hill towards a bridleway was created.
Trees, shrubs and bushes were planted with the intention of creating a Japanese ‘miyawaki forest’ that would grow quickly into a miniature dense woodland.
A road leading from an entrance gate up the side of the hill and to the cabin was also carved into the hillside without planning permission.
It didn’t take long before planners from East Hampshire District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority began issuing warnings and notices.
Between September 2024 and February 2025 officers served a Planning Contravention Notice, two Enforcement Notices and a Stop Notice to the Melbournes.
Despite multiple warnings, the couple ‘ploughed on regardless’, as one exasperated neighbour who looks out on to the ‘eyesore’ cabin, said.
That neighbour, along with several others, had watched the ‘upsetting’ project unfold from their homes on Glamorgan Road, which overlooks the Melbournes cabin plot from an opposing hillside, and decided to take action.
They added: ‘We saw them clearing the site with a mini digger and thought, hang on? On the one hand they’re claiming the land is for eco purposes and bee farming but then they’re pulling down trees during nesting season.
‘Every morning I make a cup of coffee, I look at that, I go to my office, I get up to get something, I look at that. I can’t avoid it.
‘They had a chance to engage in a process but they’ve just ploughed on regardless of the planning enforcement notices. Anyone in their right mind would have sought legal advice.’
Another neighbour on the road said: ‘The thing that galled us was that they were constantly ignoring the law, advice and notices they were issued. ‘They could have gone to any one of the authorities for proper advice and they chose not to.
‘Every time somebody spoke to them and tried to get to the bottom of what they were doing they seemed to change their story.’
Despite the facilities to make the cabin habitable, the couple, who have lived in the area for 35 years, claim they had no intention of living in it
Neighbours say the construction of the cabin spoiled their scenic views of the countryside
One lady who wished to remain anonymous alleged the couple had objected to people walking along the bridleway past the cabin. ‘He’s obviously tried to do that to stop people looking at what he’s doing,’ she claimed.
Despite some objections, one local carpenter said he didn’t think the cabin was that bad, noting: ‘It blends into the landscape doesn’t it? It’s natural isn’t it? But they didn’t have planning, unfortunately.’
The cabin was 80 per cent finished in May when the Melbournes, threatened with a High Court hearing in June, signed a legally binding contract agreeing to remove the building.
As part of the agreement they were ordered to remove all materials, gates, fences and other forms of development, including the groundworks and paths they’d carved out of the landscape and return the site to its original condition.
They were slapped with a £3,500 fine by East Hampshire District Council and told the cabin must be gone in 56 days or face a custodial sentence. The couple are in the process of dismantling the cabin and have already removed the roof and flooring.
The Melbournes reckon they have lost well over £50,000 on the project and get emotional when asked about their next move.
‘It was something for our boys and a legacy, it would’ve been great for our grandson,’ says Debbie, as she wipes away tears after struggling to comprehend the situation.
She added: ‘We have got no savings left now, we invested in something we thought would be good for the community. It’s been a complete nightmare. The plot is going on the market this week.
‘We will recoup some money and maybe find another piece of land that’s not in a national park.’
Andrew added: ‘We were going to retire but it’s all gone sour.’
The demolition of the cabin is now firmly under way and the land will be returned to its former state
Councillor Angela Glass, EHDC’s Portfolio Holder for Planning and Enforcement, said: ‘We are delighted this legal agreement has been signed and we now expect the development to be cleared over the next couple of months.
‘This is the culmination of many months of complex legal and enforcement work by our determined team of officers to reach this position.
‘I want residents to understand that if people breach planning rules, then we have the means to take action against them.’
Councillor Sara Schillemore, the local ward councillor for Catherington, said: ‘Residents were appalled to see this unsightly structure being erected in one of the most picturesque and valuable viewpoints in East Hampshire.
‘It’s vitally important that we protect our precious landscape and residents will be thrilled to see the development removed. East Hampshire Enforcement Officers worked hard for many months to achieve this result, and I sincerely thank them.’
Tim Slaney, Director of Planning at the South Downs National Park Authority, said: ‘I’m delighted we’ve reached a resolution to this breach of planning that was harming this wonderful nationally-designated landscape.
‘I would like to thank East Hampshire District Council which pursued this enforcement case with determination, making it clear we will not tolerate blatant breaches of planning.’
The agreement sets out a 56-day deadline to carry out the work. Failure to comply with this type of legal agreement can lead to enforcement proceedings in the High Court which can lead to costly legal fees and even a custodial sentence.
