Man refuses to demolish house on greenbelt land

A pensioner who illegally built a house on greenbelt land and refused to knock it down is being taken to court.

Peter Dick, 74, built the £500,000 property on land he owned in 2010 without planning permission. His application to legalise the house in West Parley, Dorset, was denied.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council took him to court in July last year for refusing to knock down the building. He was found guilty and told to demolish the house but did not.

He returned to Poole magistrates’ court charged with another breach of enforcement, which he denied, and will appear in court again in February.