A Herefordshire dairyman and his family have been told they can stay in their hastily self-built home on a borderlands farm.

James Pritchard of Gorsty Close Farm, near the Welsh border west of St Weonards, applied in May for a lawful development certificate for a “cabin” which he says he built himself and where he and his family have since lived.

After having been served notice on his previous rented holding at Kilpeck five miles to the north, Mr Pritchard moved his herd to the new rented dairy unit in May 2021, even though it lacked accommodation.

He “immediately began erecting the property so he would have somewhere to live”, completing the work a month later, a letter with his application explained.

“It was essential that he was immediately able to live on-site due to the labour-intensive workload of milking a commercial dairy herd,” it said.

And though the new building lacked planning permission, more than four years had elapsed since its construction, rendering it immune from planning enforcement, it claimed.

The council’s enforcement officer “has been engaging with the applicant” since being made aware in April of the unpermitted structure – which Mr Pritchard had at no point attempted to conceal.

His application was supported by 17 documents including ten signed statements from colleagues, suppliers and his own daughter confirming his family’s residence at the property since June 2021, as well as copy of their tenancy agreement and invoices.

These documents “support the applicant’s case to demonstrate that the residential use has been substantively continuous for over the required four-year period”, planning officer Laura Smith has now ruled.

With no evidence to the contrary having been submitted, she concluded: “The existing use as a dwellinghouse is lawful.”

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

Attempts were made to contact Mr Pritchard.