A man who went on hunger strike over a council planning dispute has said he is 'grateful' a renewed bid for him to continue living in his home has been approved.

Tony Edgar, of Pakenham, near Bury St Edmunds, submitted a lawful development certificate application to West Suffolk Council for the use of Stanley Lodge, in Fen Road, as a home in April. 

A previous application for the continued use of Stanley Lodge, which Mr Edgar said was built as an outbuilding for his former home, Newbury, in 2010, but which he moved into after suffering a stroke in 2014 and losing his wife two years later, was refused and Mr Edgar was faced with enforcement action. 

This led him to go on hunger strike in February and he told this newspaper: "I have gone through hell in the last eight years. This bungalow, it is my last straw."

In March, West Suffolk Council dropped the enforcement action against him, giving him options to submit a lawful development certificate application or appeal.

Stanley Lodge, PakenhamStanley Lodge, Pakenham (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Mr Edgar chose to submit a lawful development certificate application.

On Tuesday, July 9, his application was given the seal of approval with West Suffolk Council issuing a certificate of lawful existing use for the site. 

The certificate reads: "The applicant has shown that on the balance of probabilities the Use on the Land has been in operation for a continuous period of at least four years prior to the application being registered. Therefore, the time for taking enforcement action in relation to the Use on the Land has expired."

Following the approval, Mr Edgar said: "Obviously I am very grateful but it is a shame that it had to come to what it did to get it sorted out. 

"I think if I didn't go on hunger strike it would've gone down the planning route, solicitor against solicitor, and I probably would have lost."

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