A grandmother has won a planning battle against her own son that will now allow her to live in a converted stable block next to his farmhouse.
Farmer Juliet Light, 74, applied for the legal right to live in a makeshift property on the land next door to her son in Monmouthshire, south Wales.
Her son Gareth Rees, 53, argued it was not her main residence and claimed she was preparing to sell the annex and land around it.
Mrs Light had previously owned the farmhouse where her son now lives with his wife Sarah, 57, and their children, but transferred it to him almost 20 years ago.
She was given planning permission in 2011 for a conversion for it be a second part of the home – such as a holiday let or extension.
She told council officials she had been using the stable block in Llanvihangel Crucorney as her main home since December 2019.
An alleged breach of planning was deemed as lawful because the four-year period for the council to take enforcement action had passed.
Mrs Light provided utility bills as evidence of living at the annex, but her son claimed her main residence was in nearby Pandy, Abergavenny.
Builder Mr Rees said the longest continuous period his mother lived in the annex was eight months between December 2021 and the following September.
He argued that her application was ‘incorrect and misleading’ while claiming she bought a separate property with her husband.
He said his mother used the annex but did not stay overnight.
Montmouthshire County Council planning officer Kate Bingham sad Mr Rees did not want to make an affidavit in support of his claims.
She told how Mrs Light’s declaration stated she moved into the annex in December 2019 ‘despite the occupier of that dwelling being the applicant’s son’.
Miss Bingham added the council had ‘no evidence to contradict the statutory declaration and evidence provided by the applicant.’
She said: ‘Therefore, on the balance of probability, it is concluded the building has been continually occupied for at least four years as a separate dwelling.’
Her report also confirmed the gardens of the two properties were physically separated with a fence and separate parking areas.
The report said the annex has a separate water and electricity connection and the two properties pay separate council tax and are under separate legal ownership.
Monmouthshire council said Mrs Light’s application for a certificate of lawful development could be granted.
