A COUPLE under threat of eviction from the home they bought at Merryfield Park in Sopley have lost the latest round in their bid to remain in the property at the former RAF camp.

Earlier this year 75-year-old Eric Owen and his wife Janette, 56, were both ordered to pay fines of £750 plus costs after breaching a New Forest District Council enforcement order.

The Owens say they did not want the council accommodation offered.

In a desperate bid to stay in their comfortable, refurbished, former RAF hut, they submitted a planning application asking for continued use of the building as a residential unit.

If they are unable to stay, they will have lost the £62,000 life savings they spent on buying and fitting out their home, they claim.

But now the district council planning department has refused permission on the grounds “the proposal would result in the creation of a dwelling in the Green Belt and former Sopley Camp area where such development is not permitted”.

Mrs Owen told the Echo: “It’s been turned down. I think we expected it really. We didn’t expect anything else from the New Forest council.”

In a last throw of the dice, the Owens are to challenge the decision.

“We have six months to appeal, so we will go for that,” she said.

In determining the planning application officers looked at comments from local people and organisations.

The Sopley Camp Anti-Development pressure group said the Owens’ application breached policy, which encourages the full and proper restoration of the site to forestry or agriculture, or otherwise to restrict use to a training and rest camp and ancillary uses.

Sopley Parish Council said: “These buildings have never had permitted residential use and on that basis we would delegate to the planning officers.”

A neighbour said it was an unfortunate situation, but enough warnings had been given to prospective purchasers.

“The offer of alternative housing, in my opinion, is very helpful.”