Sir Paul offers lodge compromise

Sir Paul said he needed the lodge for "privacy, seclusion and security"

Sir Paul McCartney has said he will demolish a three-bedroom house on his East Sussex country estate if he is allowed to retain another building.

The former Beatle, 64, is in dispute with Rother District Council over a log cabin at Woodlands Farm in Peasmarsh.

The secluded wooden lodge and pavilion was refused retrospective planning permission by the council in January.

Sir Paul's revised planning application is intended to stave off the threat of him being told to pull the cabin down.

He had it built at his estate in Brede Lane without the go-ahead from the local planning authority.

Agricultural barns

Rother council said it was ready to issue an enforcement order for the cabin's demolition, saying it was detrimental to the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The new planning application was submitted on 17 August and is due to be dealt with by the council next month.

Sir Paul said he would be willing to demolish a detached house known as Beanacres, as well as two agricultural barns on his land.

Frank Rallings, Rother council's head of planning, said: "It's our responsibility to protect rural policy, and we will be preparing a report on this latest offer in due course."

The council suspended its enforcement report pending a decision on the new application.

Mr Rallings said Sir Paul would be entitled to appeal if it was refused.