Sheep farmer faces prison after planning row erupts when she built second home inside barn on 40-acre farm

A sheep farmer is facing prison after a row erupted when she built a second home inside a barn on a 40-acre farm.

Helen Lowe, 59, could receive a sentence of up to two years behind bars, an unlimited fine, or both penalties combined following her guilty verdict at Nottingham County Court on May 18.

The 40-acre farm owner built the makeshift living quarters inside a barn without obtaining planning permission, according to Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Council officials allege Ms Lowe "deliberately hid it to avoid detection" and has occupied the dwelling since 2020, defying multiple orders to vacate the premises.

The Derbyshire sheep farmer has hit back at what she characterised as a "witch hunt" conducted by "persistent" council officials, rejecting claims her dwelling was concealed.

She 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."

The farmer maintained she was not enjoying an extravagant lifestyle, pointing out the council was aware of her presence because she had been paying council tax despite receiving no bin collection service.

Ms Lowe had previously resided in a bungalow nearby but sold the property and relocated to the barn during the coronavirus lockdown.

She told the Daily Mail: "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."

The council issued its initial enforcement notice in 2020, determining the accommodation had been erected without proper authorisation.

Ms Lowe challenged this decision, but the independent Planning Inspectorate rejected her appeal in February 2022, instructing her to cease using the structure as a residence.

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Her continued occupation prompted the council to obtain a court order in September 2024, followed by contempt proceedings launched in July 2025.

The court awarded Derbyshire Dales Council £10,000 in costs, though the total expenditure across the six-year dispute is expected to far exceed that figure.

Ms Lowe branded the enforcement action a "complete waste" of taxpayer money, estimating the council had spent "hundreds of thousands".

She revealed the accommodation was assembled gradually using recycled, reclaimed and donated materials, with water supplied from a natural spring rather than mains connections.

Ms Lowe also disclosed she remains under ongoing medical care after fracturing her femur in a horse-riding accident in April 2024, which required her to relearn how to walk.

A council spokesman defended the prosecution.

They 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."

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