A west Suffolk man who went on hunger strike over a council planning row has submitted a fresh application in a renewed bid to continue living in his home.

Tony Edgar, of Pakenham, near Bury St Edmunds, has submitted a lawful development certificate application to West Suffolk Council for the use of Stanley Lodge, in Fen Road, as a home.

A previous application for the continued use of Stanley Lodge, which Mr Edgar said was built as an outbuilding for his former home, Newbury, in 2010, but which he moved into after suffering a stroke in 2014 and losing his wife two years later, was refused and Mr Edgar was also faced with enforcement action. 

In February, Mr Edgar went on hunger strike over the row and in March West Suffolk Council dropped the enforcement action against him, giving him options to submit a lawful development certificate application or for lawful use of the building as a dwelling. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Stanley LodgeStanley Lodge (Image: Charlotte Bond)

In a statement alongside the new lawful development application, Mr Edgar said: “The last few months have been very difficult for me. I did not want to have to take the actions I did, which are well publicised and do not need to be repeated here, but I felt I had no choice.

"I am pleased that the council did respond to me and spare me the time to understand the situation that had lead to my occupation of Stanley Lodge, and for their understanding in agreeing to remove the enforcement notice that they served on me in 2020.

"I will not sugar-coat the situation - it has been hard and I have had to spend money making applications that I believe should have resolved these issues without reaching the position that I did, but that is now 'water under the bridge' and I genuinely hope that this application will now secure my occupation of the building formally."

The plan is now with West Suffolk Council for consideration.