McCartney to knock down planning-row lodge

Paul McCartney has agreed to demolish a wooden lodge built without planning permission on his country estate by the end of June next year, his local authority said today.

Rother District Council previously rejected the ex-Beatle’s offer to knock down a detached house and two barns in return for being allowed to keep the secluded two-bedroom lodge and a lakeside pavilion at Woodlands Farm, Peasmarsh, East Sussex.

But McCartney changed his mind and has agreed to take down the log cabin. He has signed a legal agreement to that effect which is currently being finalised, the council said.

He is expected to submit a retrospective planning application for the pavilion in the next 10 days, which is likely to be granted, with certain conditions, it added.

Frank Rallings, head of planning at Rother District Council, said: “We have reached a satisfactory conclusion to the matter.”