Sarah Beeny, well-known television presenter and property expert, has been instructed to demolish a large extension on her Somerset estate, which has drawn comparisons to a “mini Downton Abbey.” The extension was constructed without proper planning permission, leading to a protracted dispute with local authorities.
The £3 million property near Wincanton was originally purchased by Beeny and her husband Graham Swift in 2018. Although they secured approval to build a new seven-bedroom manor house, the planning consent came with a strict condition: the existing 1970s farmhouse and outbuildings had to be demolished.
Instead of following through, Beeny chose to retain and expand the old farmhouse, adding French windows and an upstairs balcony. In May 2024, the couple applied for retrospective planning permission, but Somerset Council refused the application.
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An inspector’s report clarified that the refusal was not based on concerns about the extension’s impact on the area’s character but rather due to environmental issues. In March 2023, an ecology study revealed that the farmhouse and one of its outbuildings serve as roosting sites for protected bat species—the serotine and pipistrelle bats.
Following unsuccessful appeals, Beeny and her husband have now been formally notified they must dismantle the unauthorized structure. An inspection by Somerset Council and relevant specialists is scheduled for late September or early October, after which further actions will be decided.
This decision marks the latest chapter in a six-year battle between the couple and the council, fueled by objections from neighboring residents and concerns over planning violations.
For Beeny, whose personal journey includes a breast cancer diagnosis in 2022 and the loss of her mother to the disease when she was just ten, creating a family sanctuary has been particularly meaningful. She shares her home with her four sons—Billy, 20, Charlie, 18, Laurie, 16, and Rafferty, 15—and has been deeply sentimental about preserving memories.
Reflecting on the importance of home, Beeny once said, “Home is really important for me. But it’s not about how it looks, it’s about how it makes people feel.” She also recounted a recent conversation with her sons that helped her appreciate the difference between her own nostalgia and their presence: “They said, ‘Mum, we’re not sentimental because you’re here. You’re sentimental because you hung on to all the things that reminded you of your mum, but you’re our mum and you’re sitting right here.'”
Despite these personal reflections, the legal and environmental issues surrounding the property are compelling Sarah Beeny to reconsider her plans as she faces the mandated demolition of her cherished Somerset home extension.