Martin Clunes and wife fear SECOND traveller site near their 130-acre Dorset farm as New Age couple next door back plans for new local eco-business

Published: 14:55, 28 June 2026 | Updated: 14:57, 28 June 2026 Martin Clunes and his film producer wife fear a second traveller site could be arriving on their doorstep - after neighbours lodged fresh plans for a new organic farm. Just four months ago the couple lost a four-year planning battle against New Age Travellers Theo Langton and his partner Ruth McGill, who were given permission to turn their temporary mobile home site into a permanent one. The farm is located within a protected Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is about 300 yards from the TV star's luxury home near Beaminster, Dorset.  Now, neighbours Andy Cream and Grace Burger have added to Mr Clunes' woes - as they plan to set up an eco business selling fruit and veg boxes direct to the local area via e-bike.  Mr Cream and Ms Burger would like to build a storage barn, two polytunnels for crops and a greenhouse for what they describe as 'an important part of a local food system that improves the food security, carbon footprint, health and biodiversity of the local area'. To add insult to injury, the plans have the full backing of Mr Langton who is a passionate advocate of food security in the Beaminster area. When an initial application was submitted by Mr Cream and Ms Burger, Mr Clunes' wife Philippa Braithwaite wrote a stern objection letter. Martin Clunes and wife Philippa Braithwaite are pictured attended a Dorset Council meeting in February, before losing their four-month planning battle with the New Age Travellers View showing Martin Clunes's house at the bottom and Theo Langton's new woodland travellers' site at the middle top of the image She claimed the barn may ultimately be converted into a house and spoke of the long-running issues she and her husband had had with people living in the woods and on Mr Langton's site called Wintergreen Barn. 'The applicants say they want to live there permanently to take care of the vegetables which seems a roundabout way to get round the planning system so they can eventually convert the barn to a house. 'We have had so many years of battles with people in the area living in the woods above the site and at Wintergreen Barn; people come and go all the year round and live there when they want a place to stay - my feeling is the same will happen on this site,' Ms Braithwaite wrote. She went on to complain the area is prone to flooding and the entrance to the site is on a blind bend, which 'would be lethal to have bicycles, trucks and vans coming in and out to deliver vegetables'. Ms Braithwaite was also sceptical that deliveries would be strictly on e-bikes as that is 'obviously completely impractical in winter'. She signed off the letter stating the couple's business plan isn't 'viable', nor would it make money, adding: 'The area is a protected AONB where any planning decisions must protect or enhance the environment - these applications do neither and a large polytunnel and barn will detract from this magical piece of ancient land.' Mr Cream and Ms Burger have put in three planning applications - the first in July was submitted at the same time as an application to build a temporary agricultural workers dwelling. Neighbours Andy Cream and Grace Burger have added to Mr Clunes' woes - as they plan to set up an eco business selling fruit and veg boxes direct to the local area via e-bike. Planning documents show mock-ups of the new site Mr Cream and Ms Burger have put in three planning applications. The first two were dropped after backlash from neighbours The design and access statement says Mr Cream and Ms Burger want to create 'a traditional market garden growing more than 100 varieties of seasonal vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers across one acre of minimal tillage land' 'Production of essential goods (fruit, vegetables etc) within Beaminster would reduce reliance on imported goods and help create resilient local food supply chains, supporting the local economy', the application says Both were withdrawn after complaints from Ms Braithwaite and others. They then resubmitted an application in April solely for a farm, which divided opinion in the area and spurred over 100 locals to write letters with their opinions. Currently, Mr Clunes or Ms Braithwaite haven't commented on the newer plans, though many neighbours have expressed their disapproval as the farm has been earmarked for a steep area of outstanding natural beauty, with narrow lanes, and would result in the removal of a stretch of historic hedgerow. The design and access statement says Mr Cream and Ms Burger want to create 'a traditional market garden growing more than 100 varieties of seasonal vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers across one acre of minimal tillage land'. 'In the longer term, they plan to also produce orchard fruit (from the newly planted traditional orchard), nuts, mushrooms and honey. 'Produce from the market garden will be sold via two main outlets, direct to the local community via a "veg box" scheme and to local businesses, such as greengrocers, restaurants, cafes and delis. 'Given the close proximity of the land to the town centre, deliveries to Beaminster will be via electric delivery bicycle to reduce the carbon footprint of the produce. 'Production of essential goods (fruit, vegetables etc) within Beaminster would reduce reliance on imported goods and help create resilient local food supply chains, supporting the local economy. Theo Langton and Ruth McGill were granted permission to make their encampment a permanent site and add two spaces for travelling caravans so family and friends can visit A view of plot owned by Mr Langton and Ms McGill, who secured permanent planning permission for the site Martin Clunes, pictured at his farm, in February declined to say if he would appeal the decision afterwards 'The applicants believe the market garden will form an important part of a local food system that improves the food security, carbon footprint, health and biodiversity of the local area,' it adds. Mr Langton - a former town councillor who's lived in the area for over 30 years - stated in his letter of support he is a contributor to the area's Community Emergency Resilience Plan and has an opposing opinion to Mr Clunes and Ms Braithwaite 'I value the small scale, sensitive and ecologically diverse approach the applicants are taking on their plans/planting schemes for the site,' he wrote. 'Food security is but one of the key pillars of our resilience. It is fully understood, that this country can no longer depend upon a just in time food systems delivery model. 'A system that is utterly dependent on outmoded practices and capability that is not resilient to the risk profiles they are matched against. 'The climate and ecological emergency, resource competition, economic and global instability/conflict etc. 'All this is listed and in line with Dorset's own climate and ecological emergency strategy.' He signs off the letter saying: 'To support food security, an application like this could even be seen as a mandatory part of our critical local infrastructure. 'That, I imagine, along with many other necessary measures that will address the changes we as a whole society are going to have to confront.' Mr Cream and Ms Burger also have support from West Dorset MP Edward Morello, who said in a letter: 'I hope that the planning process goes efficiently and if everything is approved, I would be pleased to come and visit your business when it is up and running.' The couple will be hoping to avoid a planning battle like Mr Langton's, whose land is immediately adjacent to Mr and Mrs Clunes' 130-acre farm. Mr Langton and Ms McGill received dozens of letters of support from locals to create a permanent site for a barn to be used as a dayroom, a workshop and store, one mobile home, a touring caravan and a mobile van. In April, it was reported that the pair sold some of their land to a friend of theirs - to use for SAS training. This included running an I'm A Celebrity-style survival school teaching people how to live off the land and sea. Ironically, it was Mr Langton's mother - garden designer Georgia Langton - who sold some of the family land including the farm to the Clunes in 2007. Martin Clunes and Philippa Braithwaite did not wish to comment.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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