AN organic farmer from Bridford says he may have to give up farming after being fined £5,000 for failing to dismantle a timber chalet on his land. Paul Roberts, 26 – who runs a beef, lamb and chicken farm on 165 acres at Robertsacre – hit out at Dartmoor National Park Authority after appearing at South devon magistrates court on Monday. 'I have lost faith in the national park to support the people who created it. It is very hard for farmers nowadays to make a living and keep the tradition going. Without being allowed to live on my own land, I cannot run my business efficiently,' he said. He is now living with his parents, who farm 800 acres outside the village. He pleaded guilty for failing to comply with an enforcement notice issued last October, and confirmed at appeal in March, to remove the chalet, concrete foundation and track and to restore the site to agricultural land. Christopher Walledge, principal lawyer for the national park, told the court that Mr Roberts had been told in the 'clearest possible terms on site and in writing' that the work had to be done. 'Today, the chalet is still there with nothing externally to suggest that it is being removed from the site.' He said it was 'regrettable' that the case had come to court as the authority did a lot for farmers and did not like to see them prosecuted. 'It is a flagrant breach of planning control and it's gone on for one-and-a-half years.' Mr Roberts, representing himself, apologised for failing to remove the chalet. He said that throughout he had been trying to get permission for a permanent dwelling on his farm.

l Continued on page 2 l From page 1 He was granted temporary permission for a mobile home in 2004 and erected the timber chalet believing that it fell within the guidelines. His father, who had been advising him, suffered a heart attack shortly after the enforcement notice was issued. He asked for a four-week extension in view of his father's illness, but was refused. He then received conflicting advice from the authority. A member told him that if he applied for full planning permission, the enforcement action would be suspended. But the authority's enforcement officer, James Aven, told him that the building had to be removed, he told the court. Mr Roberts assured the court that the chalet would be gone by the end of the week. 'It is incredible that I am here today. I have done everything in my power to do this the right way,' he said. He had since bought a mobile home, which was in his barn. Mr Walledge said that a condition of the temporary permission for the mobile home was that its siting had to be agreed. 'Unless we agree he has no permission for a mobile home anywhere on the land, even in the barn.' Mr Roberts was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £150 costs.