The owners of an eyesore on a pristine national park landscape in Catherington have agreed to take the building down and return the land to its original condition.

Local residents were outraged to see a wooden log cabin, with fully-insulated walls, roof and floor, built on a beautiful viewpoint on land west of Lovedean Lane.

East Hampshire District Council’s planning enforcement team, working on behalf of the South Downs National Park Authority, investigated the development and over a series of months, including escalating legal proceedings, worked to stop it.

Between September 2024 and February 2025 officers served a planning contravention notice, two enforcement notices and a stop notice on Andrew and Deborah Melbourne, of Waterlooville, who own the land.

In May, before a scheduled High Court hearing in June, the Melbournes signed a legally binding contract agreeing to remove the building, take away the log cabin and all its resulting materials, gates, fences and other forms of development, including the groundworks and paths, and return the landscape to its original condition.

Cllr Angela Glass, East Hampshire District Council’s portfolio holder for planning and enforcement, said: “We are delighted this legal agreement has been signed and we now expect the development to be cleared over the next couple of months.

“This is the culmination of many months of complex legal and enforcement work by our determined team of officers to reach this position.

“I want residents to understand that if people breach planning rules, then we have the means to take action against them.”

Cllr Sara Schillemore, ward councillor for Catherington, said: “Residents were appalled to see this unsightly structure being erected in one of the most picturesque and valuable viewpoints in East Hampshire.

“It’s vitally important that we protect our precious landscape and residents will be thrilled to see the development removed.

“East Hampshire enforcement officers worked hard for many months to achieve this result, and I sincerely thank them.”

Tim Slaney, director of planning at the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “I’m delighted we’ve reached a resolution to this breach of planning that was harming this wonderful nationally-designated landscape.

“I would like to thank East Hampshire District Council, which pursued this enforcement case with determination, making it clear we will not tolerate blatant breaches of planning.”

The agreement sets out a 56-day deadline to carry out the work. Failure to comply with this type of legal agreement can lead to enforcement proceedings in the High Court which can lead to costly legal fees and even a custodial sentence.