A Sheep Farmer Faces Legal Consequences for Building a Secret Home
A sheep farmer from Derbyshire is now facing potential jail time after secretly constructing a second home inside an agricultural barn on her 40-acre farm. Helen Lowe, 59, was found guilty of contempt of court for failing to comply with orders to stop living in the makeshift unit. The case has sparked a heated debate about planning regulations and the rights of landowners.
Derbyshire Dales District Council stated that Ms. Lowe built and lived in the home without proper planning permission since 2020, claiming she "deliberately hid it to avoid detection." She now faces up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both, after being found guilty at trial of flouting a court order to cease living there.
However, Ms. Lowe has pushed back against what she calls a "witch hunt" by "persistent" council officials. She insists her home was not a luxury hideaway but a basic space to allow her to live close to her animals, which require daily care.
Ms. Lowe said: "It's a temporary building to look after my sheep when they're lambing. It's not Windsor Castle. It's just got facilities in it, a bed, windows. The council says it was concealed—but it wasn't concealed at all. You could clearly see it. All my friends knew I was here looking after the sheep."
She added, "It wasn't like I was living the high life. And the council knew I was here because I was paying council tax—even though I don't get a bin."
The Background of the Case
The council first served an enforcement notice in 2020 after determining that the home had been constructed without planning permission inside an agricultural barn at Ms. Lowe’s farm. She had previously lived in a nearby bungalow but sold it and moved in during the Covid lockdown.
Ms. Lowe appealed the notice, but the independent Planning Inspectorate dismissed her case in February 2022 and ordered her to stop using the building as a home. When she failed to do so, the council secured a court order in September 2024 requiring her to stop living in the barn.
Officials claimed she continued to occupy the building and failed to carry out the required demolition works, prompting the authority to launch contempt proceedings in July 2025.
Following a trial at Nottingham County Court on May 18, Miss Lowe was found guilty of contempt. Derbyshire Dales council was awarded £10,000 in costs, though the full cost through the six-year dispute will dwarf that modest sum.
The Farmer's Perspective
Ms. Lowe described the enforcement action as a "complete waste" of taxpayer cash and claimed she had been seen as an "easy target" by town hall officials. She said: "It was only built because I needed facilities here, and then during Covid I ended up staying longer. My priorities have been my animals, and that is what has got me into trouble. They've got to have spent hundreds of thousands, wasting money. It's ridiculous."
Derbyshire Dales council emphasized that the court ruling "shows the serious consequences of ignoring planning rules and failing to get the correct permission before carrying out development." A spokesperson said: "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."
However, Ms. Lowe claims the dispute has been misrepresented and has had a devastating impact on her life. She said the council pursued enforcement action in 2024 while she was in hospital after falling from her horse and sustaining a broken femur.
A Simple, Practical Space
Ms. Lowe explained that the structure was not a luxury home but a simple, practical space to enable her to remain close to her animals, particularly during lambing and other periods when they required frequent attention. She added:
"It was never intended to be a luxury home. It was a simple, practical space which enabled me to remain close to my animals, particularly during lambing and other periods when they required frequent attention. The cost of removing the structure is difficult to estimate, but it will represent a significant financial and practical burden for me given my circumstances, and last year whilst ill I simply couldn’t face it."
She also mentioned that she remains under ongoing medical care following her serious accident in April 2024, which left her with a fractured femur. She had to relearn how to walk and continues to deal with complex health conditions. Throughout the proceedings, she has sought to keep both the Court and the Council informed of her medical position and has relied on assistance from others due to her health difficulties.
Despite everything, North Park Farm remains her happy place and the place where she cares for her animals.
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