A PENSIONER has been ordered to demolish his toilet and pay nearly £10,000 in costs or face jail. Stephen Windsor built a primitive privy in a stretch of secluded woodland to “make the area more accessible to disabled visitors”. But the 65-year-old failed to secure planning permission for the structure, which lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Cotswolds .
And following months of unsuccessful legal battles he has now been issued an order to tear down the outhouse by the High Court of Justice. Furious Stephen vowed to fight the judgement and continue to help his disabled visitors . He said: “ I'm not going to pay this - I'll appeal this decision.
"There's very limited woodland in this country that disabled people can get to. Why shouldn't they be able to enjoy these environments?" Stephen, of Bath, Somerset , bought the area of land in Quarry Woods on the outskirts of the village of Box, Wilts , in 2021. The dad-of-two says he suffers from PTSD from his time in the Royal Marines in the 1980's, and now wants a quieter life.
The first phase of his project was completed when he built a small shed equipped with a composting toilet. But the area of land it sits on is designated both an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to a rare bat population. And locals have raised concerns about the use of the site, including fears that people might begin living on the plot.
No planning permission was gained for the developme.
