THE owner of a farm building in Austwick partially rebuilt without planning permission has been ordered to take it down.

Craven councillors refused permission for the residential conversion of the 'shippon' at Willow Tree earlier this year after hearing very little of the original building - built to house cattle - remained.

Councillors were divided on whether to allow conversion of the building, which forms part of a former farm now converted to residential use, but were told it would send out the wrong message to other owners of 'tumbledown' farm buildings.

Permission was denied on the grounds it represented a new dwelling in the open countryside and that very little of the original building remained

The owner has now been issued an enforcement notice by Craven District Council requiring its demolition within six months from when the notice takes effect, on July 28. An appeal by the will halt the enforcement action for a decision to be made by a government planning inspector.