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Robert Fidler Builds A Castle

by Lupe Lasano in this-and-that

Robert Fidler has done what a lot of us would want to. He has built a veritable castle, and he's done it despite the wishes of the town council who kept turning down his permit applications to build on his property.

Robert Fidler, 59, spent two years constructing his dream home behind the straw shield before moving in his wife Linda and their son Harry, 7, in 2002. The father-of-six says he built the structure out of despair after applications to construct a home on his farm in Salfords, Surrey, were repeatedly turned down by council planners. He hid it from view hoping it would be considered legal after standing for four years. advertisement Shocked neighbours reported Mr Fidler as soon as they saw the structure, which cost £50,000 to build. Now council officials have insisted it must be bulldozed.

The best part is Robert Fidler kept the entire structure hidden for as long as he did. I think this town council is crazy to try and force him to tear this beautiful structure down.

So does Fidler.

I can't believe they want to demolish this beautiful house. To me it [the council] is no different from vandals who just want to smash it down.

"But I'm not worried because I don't believe I've done anything wrong.

"We moved into the house on Harry's first birthday, so for the first few years of his life he grew up looking at straw out of the windows.

"We thought it would be a boring view, but, in fact, many birds nested in the straw and feasted on the worms.We had several families of robins and even a duck made a nest and hatched 13 ducklings on top of the bales.

"What we had anticipated being a very uninteresting view out of our windows turned out to be a fascinating garden with all sorts of natural visitors."

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