Farmer Richard Pierson Battles Council Over Caravan Home Removal
Richard Pierson is challenging a council order to remove a worker’s caravan from his farm in Ringwood, citing unfair treatment and delays.
Ringwood, Moortown Farm, New Forest District Council, Caravan, Planning Control
Ringwood: So, there’s this farmer named Richard Pierson who’s really up against it. He’s been told by the New Forest District Council to get rid of a caravan that’s been used as a home for one of his workers.
The council says he needs to clear out not just the caravan but also all the personal stuff around it, like outdoor furniture and a barbecue. They claim he didn’t get the right permissions to use the land for living purposes.
Apparently, they think he’s been breaking the rules for about ten years now. They argue that he hasn’t shown any real need for a worker to live on the farm, which is in the countryside.
They also mentioned that the caravan is not just unauthorized but also looks bad in the open countryside. Plus, they’re worried about how it might affect local nature sites.
Richard has a year to sort this out, but he’s not taking it lying down. A planning company is stepping in to help him appeal, saying that a year is just too much time and doesn’t make sense.
He tried to talk to the council back in 2022 when they first raised the issue, but it seems like they lost interest. He didn’t hear from them again until just last month.
The council says a new manager and a review of cases caused the delay. Richard then applied to keep the caravan, saying it’s been there for ages without any fuss.