Cornwall Council decision to grant permission for house on Rame Head quashed by High Court judge
A judge has overturned a decision to allow a new house to be built on an area of protected land on the Cornish coastline.
Farmer Chris Wilton had planned to build a property in Rame Head, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
But campaigners opposed to the idea were granted a judicial review at the High Court, with supporters donating more than £30,000 towards the legal battle.
This morning a judge overturned the decision.
Cornwall Council says it is now reviewing the judgment and considering its options.
Speaking in November ahead of the review, Mr Wilton said:
"We’re tenant farmers of the entire area, we farm 280 acres of Rame Peninsula and our family have done so for the past 200 years.
"This piece of land seemed ideal as it is right next to existing cottages and it is well screened, it’s in a natural dip in the landform."
The Rame Protection Group says this judgment "has far-reaching implications for the protection of AONBs in Cornwall and beyond".
"It means that private ‘need’ alone would not in itself justify developments inside an AONB.
"It re-asserts the critical importance of the protective umbrella that the AONB offers when it comes to developments in the open countryside.
"It is the RPG’s hope that this will help prevent similar attempts to undermine protective legislation throughout the county and beyond."
Mr Wilton has declined to comment on today's ruling.
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