Sir Paul's planning row rolls on

The council said Sir Paul's log cabin was detrimental to the environment

Sir Paul McCartney has failed to settle a row with his local council over a log cabin he built on his East Sussex estate without planning permission.

In January, he was told to pull-down the timber lodge and pavilion at Woodlands Farm in Peasmarsh.

The ex-Beatle then offered to demolish a three-bedroom house and two barns if he could keep the disputed building, a compromise backed by council officers.

But planning councillors instead opted for a site visit ahead of any decision.

They met at Bexhill Town Hall on Thursday, but did not accept the recommendation of the planning officers.

'Privacy, seclusion and security'

"If we go along this route we will be creating a very, very difficult precedent," said Councillor David Vereker.

He and his colleagues said photographs and drawings of Woodlands Farm had failed to satisfy them over the impact of Sir Paul's proposal.

A site inspection will be now take place before the council's next planning committee meeting on 12 October.

Sir Paul, 64, said he was desperate to keep the two-bedroom cabin because of the "privacy, seclusion and security" it gave him and his family.

An enforcement notice ordering him to remove it was postponed when he offered to instead demolish a detached house called Beanacres and two agricultural barns in his grounds.

Sir Paul was not present at Thursday's meeting as the planning committee voted in favour of a site visit.