A couple who claimed they ‘didn’t know’ their log cabin was illegal have demolished it after being threatened with prison.
Andrew and Debbie Melbourne spent £45,000 building their off-grid wood cabin near the town of Waterlooville, Hampshire, in the South Downs National Park.
But their dreams were scuppered when planners stepped in and ordered them to pull down the 1,200 sq ft fully insulated spruce cabin.
The couple were slapped with a £3,500 fine by East Hampshire District Council and told the structure must be gone in 56 days or face a custodial sentence.
They were also ordered remove foundations, a road and to restore the land – in one of Britain’s most protected national parks – back to its former condition.
And now neighbours who overlook the development have spoken of their ‘joy and ‘relief’ after the couple began taking down the structure.
One said: ‘I’m overjoyed. It’s a relief the local authority acted so promptly to stop this as it was being built in a area of outstanding natural beauty.
‘It has already done considerable damage.
BEFORE: A couple who claimed they ‘didn’t know’ their log cabin (pictured before demolition) was illegal have demolished it after being threatened with prison
Andrew and Debbie Melbourne spent £45,000 building their off-grid wood cabin near the town of Waterlooville, Hampshire, in the South Downs National Park
AFTER: But their dreams were scuppered when planners stepped in and ordered them to pull down the 1,200 sq ft fully insulated spruce cabin (pictured after demolition)
‘The development was absolutely huge and now the main body of the cabin is down you can see how large the excavation around it is.
‘It’s really big and Andrew Melbourne, who is working on it, is dwarfed by it.
‘What I will say at the outset is no one bears them ill-will or wishes them to suffer unduly because of this but we all want ensure the national park is protected from unregulated building.
‘I, along with other residents, watched on in horror as this large cabin began to go up last year and then the couple gouged an unpaved road to the cabin.
‘It was a real scar across the South Downs.
‘Now, I think we’re all relieved that they appear to be complying with the order to remove it and have done a considerable amount of work already.’
But he added: ‘I think it is going to take years for the land to truly return to its former glory as a lot of work had already been carried out.’
The couple purchased their half-acre plot last year on land off Lovedean Lane, near the village of Catherington, for around £20,000.
The site is one of more than 80 individual plots on a controversial land banking scheme owned by estate agents Gladwish Land Sales
The couple were slapped with a £3,500 fine by East Hampshire District Council and told the structure must be gone in 56 days or face a custodial sentence
They were also ordered remove foundations, a road and to restore the land – in one of Britain’s most protected national parks – back to its former condition
Now, neighbours who overlooked the development have spoken of their ‘joy and ‘relief’ after the couple began taking down the structure
They then bought a German-made prefabricated log cabin online for £25,000.
The site is one of more than 80 individual plots on a controversial land banking scheme owned by estate agents Gladwish Land Sales.
The concept sees developers buy a field before dividing it into smaller parcels and selling those off to buyers.
The buyers are often told they will get planning in the future – which may not actually ever be granted.
Mr Melbourne, a dad-of-two and former music teacher who plays the trombone in local aka and jazz bands, insists there were no disclosures on the plot being inside a national park or it being subject to an Article 4.
An Article 4 is a planning regulation which removes permitted development rights for a specific property or area, meaning planning permission is needed for that kind of work when it would not normally.
He said he and his wife put their hearts into the project and aimed to turn the spruce cabin and land into a community garden.
After starting work in April last year, the cabin was up in five months.
After starting work in April last year, the cabin was up in five months
The couple say it would have been totally off-grid, featuring a kitchen, office, shower rooms, living quarters and a compostable toilet with its own on-site water supply
The couple say it would have been totally off-grid, featuring a kitchen, office, shower rooms, living quarters and a compostable toilet with its own on-site water supply.
Mr Melbourne previously told MailOnline: ‘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.’
Despite the cabin having facilities to make it 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.
Despite the cabin having facilities to make it 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 did not 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, one exasperated neighbour, whose home overlooks the ‘eyesore’, said they ‘carried on regardless’.
Another neighbour 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.’
It did not take long before planners from East Hampshire District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority began issuing warnings and notices
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
Soon, enquiries into what the couple was doing became hostile and they were sworn at and threatened by builders on the site.
One neighbour said: ‘I was told to “f***off” when I asked what they planned to do. It got quite aggressive and I was told, “Get off my land!”‘
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.
The couple 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,’ said Mrs Melbourne.
‘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.’
Mr Melbourne said: ‘We were going to retire but it’s all gone sour’
Mr Melbourne added: ‘We were going to retire but it’s all gone sour.’
A neighbour said: ‘It is a common view it was going to be an Airbnb and they were going to move in but they should have known anything like that contravened planning laws.
‘The Melbournes had ample opportunity to see the error of their ways and stop.
‘They were first told they were in contravention of planning laws last September.
‘They could have halted the development, sought advice and saved themselves a lot of money and heartache.
‘Most people would have stopped at that point but they just carried on regardless. I really don’t understand it. Maybe they thought they had discovered a loophole.
‘They say they did their research but even a cursory look online shows there are clear restrictions on development in national parks and explains how Article 4 trumps all loopholes.
‘It’s a shame for them. I really don’t know why they continued. I’m happy the development is coming down but I’m also worried about the impact it has had on the land.
A neighbour said: ‘It is a common view it was going to be an Airbnb and they were going to move in but they should have known anything like that contravened planning laws’
‘There is so much work to do on the restoration. The couple say they removed tonnes to earth and chalk to level the plot which now has to be put back along with the grassland.
‘There is also the unpaved road which has been gouged across the landscape. That is a scar which will take many years to be covered over.’
Councillor Angela Glass, the district council’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, 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.’
They continued: ‘The Melbournes had ample opportunity to see the error of their ways and stop’
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 demolition 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.
