Couple Ordered to Demolish £1 Million Illegal Home in Cambridgeshire

Jeremy and Elaine Zielinski were granted planning permission in 2014 to build a two-storey stallion semen collection centre and laboratory with a small staff flat on their 17-acre property in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire, but instead constructed a £1 million residential home. Although the exterior matched the approved plans, the interior was fully residential with three bedrooms and homely features, and no evidence of any laboratory or business use was found. The council issued an enforcement notice in 2023 requiring demolition, which the couple appealed, arguing they were unaware of the breach and could convert the building to the permitted use. However, a planning inspector rejected their appeal, stating the property was a clear and flagrant breach of planning policy as it was built as a dwelling from the outset, with the couple having sold their original house to move in. The couple have expressed distress at the ruling, saying they have nowhere else to live and would face hardship if forced to demolish their home. The demolition order stands with Greater Cambridgeshire Council requiring the property to be torn down by May 2026.