In a tale of dreams and determination, Tara Dexter, a widow mourning her late partner Gary, found solace in a patch of neglected wasteland in Sidlesham, West Sussex. For £57,000, she acquired this piece of land and embarked on an ambitious journey to transform it into a thriving mini farm, fulfilling a shared vision she and her partner had cherished.
The couple had long envisioned a life immersed in nature, tending to their own micro-farm, and living out their own version of The Good Life. However, this idyllic plan has hit a snag, as Dexter now finds herself embroiled in a contentious planning dispute with Chichester District Council. The council argues that the container and sheds she placed on the property infringe on rural planning regulations.
Dexter counters this by highlighting the land’s previous state—a blighted dumping ground littered with car parts and debris. Over the past two years, she has diligently transformed it into a sanctuary, not only for pigs and chickens but also for local wildlife and schoolchildren who visit the site.
Despite the challenges, Dexter remains committed to her vision, although the pressure of the ongoing legal battle means she may have to consider offers to sell the land, including one from the traveller community.
She insists the site was once a fly-tipped dumping ground filled with car parts and was covered in rubbish and she has spent more than two years turning it into a haven for pigs, chickens, wildlife and local schoolchildren.
She says she has already had an offer to purchase the land from the traveller community.
Ms Dexter, 57, of Yapton, West Sussex says her mini farm has helped her through the immense grief of losing her partner to cancer and she calls it her ‘lifesaver’. She said she received almost £3,000 in grants to plant hedgerows and trees on the land from Chichester District Council – the same council who is now trying to close her down.
Deer and buzzards now visit the plot, raised beds have been planted and she keeps peacocks on her farm. Children from a nearby primary school have also used the land for outdoor activities and help her on the land. She also created a willow igloo which is used by disabled children who often visit to help on the land.
Ms Dexter says the council’s planning department initially told her they had no problem with the container unit and the sheds. However when she applied for planning permission for the container and sheds she was turned down.
Ms Dexter is now locked in a planning battle with Chichester District Council, which says a container and sheds on the land breach countryside planning rules
Ms Dexter insists the site was once a fly-tipped dumping ground filled with car parts and was covered in rubbish
Deer and buzzards now visit the plot, raised beds have been planted and she keeps peacocks on her farm
She told the Daily Mail: ‘It has literally saved my life. I was so devastated by Gary’s diagnosis and death.
‘He was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer at the age of 52 after suffering a seizure at work and within six weeks he had passed away. It was absolutely devastating.
‘He’d always been so healthy. He served four tours with the Army in a 12 year career including tours in Northern Ireland and Belize.
‘He hadn’t been to the doctor since 1998 but suddenly suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with cancer and that was it.
‘We’d always wanted a little slice of nature to work as a smallholding and when I saw this I snapped it up. It was £57,000 and was a real mess but I was prepared to work hard. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
‘I worked all the hours I could transforming it and clearing the rubbish and mess from the site. It now has around 2,000 plants, fencing, hedgerows and has been cleared of all the toxic rubbish that was here.
‘I bought a container for £20,000 and then cladded it with wood to ensure it blended in and the place looks lovely now. It really blends in with the environment.’
Ms Dexter, 57, of Yapton, West Sussex says her mini farm has helped her through the immense grief of losing her partner to cancer and she calls it her ‘lifesaver’
Ms Dexter said she also received almost £3,000 in grants to plant hedgerows and trees on the land from Chichester District Council – the same council who is now trying to closer her down
She said: ‘When I initially told them about the container they said that as long as it was on bricks or raised from the ground they had no issue with it but when I applied for permission they turned it down and then issued an enforcement notice against me.
‘However the same council gave me close to £3,000 in grants to plant hedgerows, plants and trees. It seems like one department doesn’t talk to the other. I was getting conflicting messages.
‘My solicitor and I have taken my plans to appeal three times and we’ve now applied to Planning Inspectorate which is our last chance. They’ve been down to examine the site and I really hope they allow me to continue.’
She said: ‘My mental health has not been great since Gary passed away. He was my soulmate. We first met when he was 18 and I was 17 and then got back together when we were older.
‘My micro farm has been my retreat for the past two and half years and I don’t know what I’d do without it.’
She added: ‘It’s so unfair because this was just wasteland which had been fly-tipped for years and years.
‘Now we have nature back on the land. How can what I’m doing be so bad? I’m not asking to build or put houses or have several units here; it’s just one and I’ve made it as natural-looking as possible.
Children from a nearby primary school have also used the land for outdoor activities and help her on the land
‘Other plots around me include a burnt-out barn and mountains of fly tipping? Fly-tipping which has been ignored by the council for years.’
Ms Dexter said she cannot continue to work on the land without the container and sheds and will be forced to sell up.
In a statement, Chichester District Council said: ‘The planning application for a container on the land was refused by the council in 2024, as it conflicted with key policies aimed at protecting the countryside and because the site lies within a floodplain.
‘The decision was subsequently reviewed by a Planning Inspector, who agreed with the council and dismissed the appeal.
‘The Inspector noted that the container’s prominent position made it appear stark within its rural surroundings, and that its domestic-style design was out of keeping with the rural landscape.’
She added: ‘While acknowledging that welfare facilities may be needed for educational use, the Inspector concluded that it had not been demonstrated that these benefits could not be achieved in a less harmful way.
‘Overall, the Inspector found that the proposal would cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the countryside, which plays an important role in defining the area, and that the development would erode this in an otherwise undeveloped landscape.
‘Both the council and the Planning Inspector concluded that the proposal failed to comply with local and national planning policies and would have a detrimental impact on the character of the area.
‘Enforcement action has since been taken to secure the removal of the container. This action has been appealed by the applicant and is currently under consideration by the Planning Inspectorate.’
