A couple who spent five years building Britain’s greenest home by hand, using old railway sleepers and lorry tyres, have been ordered to tear it down.
Matthew Lepley and Jules Smith decided not to ask for planning permission from Torridge District Council in Devon because it takes consumes too much paper and energy, and defies their eco-friendly 'personal principles'.
Mr Lepley, 34, and Ms Smith, 54, moved from a London tower block to the countryside in 2009, and lived in tents while they constructed their dream house by hand.They lived off the land while they constructed the one bedroom cabin from scrap wood and metal. They also shunned the use of power tools in their quest to live 'at one with nature'. The final product has no electricity or running water and a compost heap for a toilet.
Officials have now served Matthew, 34, and Jules, 54, with an enforcement notice ordering them to 'remove' it from their field in in Beaworthy, Devon.
Mr Lepley said: 'We wanted to build a home that would let us truly live as one with nature. We used recycled materials, an axe to break up the wood and hand tools to piece the structure together.'The process was a lot slower but it was extremely satisfying. We wanted to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. The plans for the house have changed over the years in accordance to our needs and nature. The heat comes from a woodburner which heats the water for the bathroom.
'We don’t have electricity but we get by with paraffin lamps and candles. This life is not for everyone but we love it - it enables us to live a therapeutic lifestyle and be self-sufficient.
'We took the decision to build without planning permission because the council’s procedure is not environmentally friendly enough and it goes against our personal principles.'Mr Lepley and Ms Smith left their jobs as carers in London give years ago and fled a 'pent-up' tower block in Wood Green, north London. They bought a 20-acre field and set aside £20,000 for construction costs, then scoured farmland and scrap yards for unwanted junk.The foundations were made from old tractor tyres filled with gravel, while the walls and roof were build from discarded haulage pallets and railway sleepers.
Despite having just one bedroom, a lounge, a kitchen and a bathroom to build, the building has taken years to complete because of the low-tech methods of construction.
The couple feed themselves by growing their own fruit and vegetables. They rear ducks for their eggs and sheep for wool. Instead of a fridge they use a compartment two and a half feet underground to keep it cool.
Their water is drawn out of the ground with a bore hole, and all the waste from their outside compose toilet is recycled.
The couple say their neighbours were initially supportive of their ambition to live a self-sufficient lifestyle on the remote woodland plot.
But when they revealed plans to turn their rustic retreat into a conservation business, hosting workshops in green engineering and 'permaculture', locals turned against them.
Mr Lepley said the pair ignored local planning rules as they breached their eco-friendly principles.They hoped their unique dwelling would not attract any complaints - meaning it would automatically gain retrospective permission after four years.But two years into the build a local opponent gathered ten signatures and submitted the petition to Torridge District Council’s planning department.
The first enforcement was appealed three years ago, and the couple are now going through a second round.
Mr Lepley said: 'There is a chronic lack of affordable housing in this country and very few options for people on a low income. It’s not illegal, though we knew there was a risk someone might complain.
'We’ve had a lot of drama with the neighbours, some have been really supportive while others have gone against us and started a petition. We were hoping no one would notice as its only visible within the dwelling and can’t be seen from the road.
'The idea of the conservation project was to provide retreat accommodation and run courses and workshops on sustainable living. The house and surrounding land enables us to be totally self sufficient - we would be devastated if we had to knock down.'
Torridge District Council said the process had gone to appeal to decide if the notice is to be enforced and the house torn down.
A spokesman said: 'I can confirm Torridge District Council has served an enforcement notice that they remove the structure. However, as it has now gone to appeal, we have to wait for the inspector’s decision before we can take any further action.'
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