Owner of Shrubland Hall near Claydon is fined £3,600

Mid Suffolk District Council took legal action after its requests to remove a timber-framed storage building and a portable cabin built on the grounds of Shrubland Hall in Barham, near Claydon, were denied.

The owner of the listed property, the British Institute of Technology Ltd, was fined £3,600 plus a surcharge of £1,440 and costs of £875 as the firm admitted eight charges of failing to comply with an enforcement notice.

The sums must be paid within 28 days.

The timber-framed storage building at Shrubland Hall (Image: Mid Suffolk District Council) The portable cabin which was also part of the enforcement notice (Image: Mid Suffolk District Council) READ MORE: 'A terrific disappointment': What next for now-derelict Shrubland Hall?

Prof Muhammad Farmer had faced eight charges but they were dropped. He is a director of the British Institute of Technology Ltd.

The property was purchased in 2009 and Prof Farmer previously said the hall might become a Hilton hotel.

Concerns have since been raised as local people noticed decaying garden features and a growingly unkept look at the historic manor - which once featured in the James Bond film Thunderball.

A further issue was made when the manor was also spotted as being listed as a wedding venue on the internet in 2022, despite the fact it had no licence to do such ceremonies.

READ MORE: Inside Shrubland Hall: The James Bond mansion without a licence to wed

Local people have raised concerns about the state of the mansion (Image: Mid Suffolk District Council) Following the case, Andrew Stringer, cabinet member for heritage, planning and infrastructure, said: “We will protect our heritage. The action taken shows how serious we are about protecting our district’s precious history.

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“These were flagrant breaches of planning laws. The fact they happened in the grounds of Shrubland Hall - one of the finest properties in Suffolk - only adds insult to injury.

Councillor Andrew Stringer (Image: Jason Noble)

“It is important to stress we will always try to work with people to resolve issues before we take enforcement action, and we would rather things didn’t reach this stage.

“We will now continue to take all the appropriate steps to ensure the structures are removed once and for all.”

Shrubland Hall was placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 2021. While the hall itself is Grade II* listed, the registered park and garden is Grade I listed.