Widow Loses House She Built Without A Permit

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28019, 13 July 1956, Page 13

Widow Loses House She Built Without A Permit

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, July 12. A 57-year-old widow, whose partlybuilt house was demolished yesterday by the Hampshire County Council, said last night that she would rebuild “even if I have to go to prison for it.” The woman. Mrs Elizabeth Mitchell, mother of three children, watched as bulldozers razed the house, which had cost £5OO to build. She and her children, who have lived for five years in shacks on the Heathland site at Ringwood, Hampshire. were building the house without Permission from the local planning authorities. Mrs Mitchell bought the site for £lOO 10 years ago. but the borough authorities wanted the land kept as an open space and forbade her to build on it. Mrs Mitchell said: “They have just bulldozed £5OO. That is what we have spent on the house so far. But they are

not going to get away with it. I shall clear away the rubble immediately and start rebuilding again. “We came down here for peace and quiet after a terrible time in London during the war and I am going to build this house if I have to go to prison for it.” The Hampshire County Council said the decision to authorise such action had been made only after the circumstances had been fully and carefully considered.

It added that Mrs Mitchell had deliberately proceeded with the erection of the house in full knowledge of the fact that the local planning authority was empowered to demolish it. Two years ago, Mr Leslie Kirby, of Bracknell, Berkshire, who built a home without permission, was told by the Government after an eight-year fight that the house could stay. The case became a cause celebre. Mr Kirby estimated that his battle with authority cost him £2500.