THE owner of a Grade- II listed 17th century farmhouse has applied for listed building consent to totally renovate it – two and a half years after planners ordered enforcement action over unauthorised restoration work that ripped out historical features.

Yorkley Court Farm was bought by local businessman Brian Bennett, who successfully evicted eco-farm squatters from the 180-acre site in 2016 following a three-year legal battle.

But then Yorkley Court Farm Ltd found itself in hot water after Forest Council planners discovered renovation work had begun on the building without permission, while two unathorised motorcross tracks also stirred anger among local residents.

Now the business has applied for listed building consent to make the farmhouse fully habitable again, saying a revised programme for completion of the restoration has been agreed with the council.

A report on behalf of the applicant says: “The much altered house was probably built at the end of the 17th century, but was gutted, raised and re-roofed in the early-19th. It was modernised in the later-20th century.

“The significance of Yorkley Court Farmhouse as a Grade-II listed structure is fully recognised by our client. Their aspiration is to invest in the property to meet fully their obligations as defined in the current enforcement as well as develop a long-term sustainable solution.

“Much of the damage to Yorkley Court Farmhouse was maliciously caused by anonymous third parties, not our client.

“The aim of the restoration is to fully renovate the farmhouse back to, as close as possible, its former state whilst rendering it suitable as a family home, suitable for 21st century living,” adds the report.

Proposed works include the partial re-roofing of the north wing, including the removal of corrugated steel roof sheeting, the demolition of a 20th century timber and glass link porch and the restoration of floors and staircases using existing timbers where possible.

Natural stone walls will also be made good and plastered internally and rendered, while the plan also involves new gutters and down pipes, new ceilings, new windows and external doors, internal joinery, mechanical and electrical installation, including underfloor heating with a ground source heat pump, plumbing and drainage, and the creation of bathrooms and a kitchen to create a “sustainable habitable dwelling”.

A Forest Council spo- kesperson said: “I can confirm that the enforcement notice remains in force.

“The owners (of Yorkley Court) have sought to work with officers over their plans to refurbish the building and the new listed building application follows these discussions.”

The farm, which was once the home of a 17th century ironmaster, has made headlines since 2012 when self-styled eco-warriors moved onto the unoccupied site and set up a community farm, erecting barricades to stop any eviction attempts.

They were finally forced to leave in a huge £100,000 two-day police and bailiff operation in March 2016, after the landowner, who also reportedly ran up costs of £50,000, obtained an eviction notice.

Just over a year after the barricades came down, though, a conservation consultant told the Forest Council unauthorised renovations to the house were so harmful to the historic nature of the farmhouse and estate they would never have been given planning permission.

Among concerns highlighted were the removal of walls, fireplaces, timbers, window frames, doors, architraves and lath and plaster finishes from the 20-room building.

In July 2017, planners issued enforcement notices over the work at Yorkley Court Farm, demanding that the farmhouse’s historical features were reinstated, and the demolition of a builder’s yard created without permission.

In May, 2018, a retrospective planning bid for two motocross tracks on the estate was withdrawn in the face of objections from hundreds of residents who claimed their peace was being wrecked by “upwards of 100” bike racers.

Two petitions against the scheme attracted 641 signatures, while the Forest Council received 312 objections.