Home / Lifestyle / Sarah Beeny Wins Farmhouse Planning Battle
Sarah Beeny Wins Farmhouse Planning Battle
19 Oct
Summary
- Sarah Beeny's farmhouse on Somerset estate approved after planning disputes.
- Original demolition order overturned by revised planning application.
- Decision sparks local criticism over planning rule enforcement.
Television presenter Sarah Beeny has successfully won a major planning dispute to retain her farmhouse, referred to as 'mini-Downton Abbey,' on her Somerset estate. The property, located at Stokeford Farm in Stoney Stoke, had been subject to an order for demolition due to unauthorized work. However, Somerset Council has now granted approval, overturning the previous decision and ending years of contention.
The farmhouse row began when Sarah Beeny and her husband Graham Swift purchased the estate in 2018. They secured permission to demolish an existing 1970s farmhouse in 2020 but instead refurbished and extended it without the necessary planning permission. This unauthorized development was later featured on Channel 4's 'New Life in the Country.'
Retrospective applications to regularize the work were rejected in September 2024, and an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in February 2025 was also lost, resulting in a demolition order. A revised strategy by their planning team, Avalon Planning & Heritage, proposed varying existing conditions related to an earlier approval for converting agricultural buildings. This new plan involved building four new homes instead of five and retaining the original farmhouse.
The revised proposal's approval has drawn criticism from local residents and parish councillors, including neighbour Kevin Flint, who accused Beeny of disregarding rules and creating village tension. Shepton Montague Parish Council also voiced frustration, questioning the council's change of heart and the enforcement of planning regulations. They argued the reversal undermined the credibility of the council's planning rules.
Despite local objections, Somerset Council's chair of Planning South, Jason Baker, supported the revised proposal, citing ecological and sustainability benefits, including embodied carbon and biodiversity considerations. The approval is also accompanied by a legal agreement to limit further development on Stokeford Farm, marking a significant, albeit controversial, resolution to the long-running planning saga.
