A Herefordshire woman who was threatened with eviction from her rural home has now been told she can stay after all.

Herefordshire Council had tried to take formal enforcement action against Abigail Walker of Little Bush Pitch by the A438 west of Ledbury, saying this never had permission for use as a house.

Permission was granted in 2015 to extend an existing building for “shower, laundry and storage purposes”, serving the five static mobile home and touring caravan pitches then permitted on the site.

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This March the council wrote to Miss Walker demanding that she “cease the occupation of the washroom/laundry for residential purposes [within] 1.18 months”.

She appealed against this on the basis that she had lived in the property for over four years and was therefore immune from enforcement. She also sought a certificate of lawfulness, known as a CLEUD, to this effect.

Now the council has written back to Miss Walker saying it has withdrawn its enforcement notice.

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This was confirmed by planning inspector Rebecca Gray, appointed by the Government to rule on the appeal, who said she would take no further action.

The council has also granted the requested certificate of lawfulness.

Its development manager Andrew Banks said in his letter to Miss Walker: “It appears, on the balance of probability, that the occupation of the building as a dwelling has taken place for a continuous period in excess of four years prior to the date of this application.”

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