Judge finds woman in contempt over unauthorised home hidden inside barn

The council first served an enforcement notice on Miss Helen Louise Lowe, of North Park Farm, Whitworth Road, Darley Dale, in 2020 after council officers discovered the structure.

According to the local authority, it had been built without planning permission inside an agricultural building and "was deliberately concealed to avoid detection".

Lowe appealed the notice to the Planning Inspectorate, but the appeal was dismissed on 23 February 2022.

The Inspector required her to cease using the building as a dwelling, remove the unauthorised structure, and demolish an unlawful extension to the barn. Lowe failed to comply within the time allowed, leading the council to pursue legal action.

His Honour Judge Jonathan Owen, sitting at the County Court in Nottingham, subsequently issued an injunction order in September 2024 requiring the structure to be removed.

The council then launched contempt of court proceedings in July 2025 after discovering that Lowe had failed to comply with the injunction.

On 18 May 2026, His Honour Judge Jonathan Owen, sitting at the County Court in Nottingham, found that Lowe had committed contempt of court by failing to comply with the injunction.

His order stated that she had failed to remove the structure by the deadline of 4pm on 3 June 2025 and remained in breach almost a year later.

The judge adjourned sentencing until August. He stated that Lowe could receive a prison sentence — whether suspended or immediate — or be fined if the structure is not removed by 24 July 2026.

He also ordered Lowe to pay the council's costs of the contempt proceedings, assessed at £10,000.

A spokesperson for the council said: "Derbyshire Dales District Council is pleased to have obtained a guilty verdict on Miss Lowe, and to have been awarded costs against her. We are grateful to the Darley Dale community for their patience as we pursued this complex and lengthy court action.

"This case shows the serious consequences of ignoring planning rules and failing to obtain the correct permission before carrying out development. The planning system only works when everyone follows the same rules. It is not acceptable for a few people to disregard the process while most comply."

Adam Carey