Imagine moving into your dream countryside farmhouse, only to find yourself locked in a years-long planning dispute with the people living just a short stroll down the lane.
That’s exactly the situation actor Martin Clunes—best known for Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly—finds himself in near Beaminster, Dorset.
Clunes and his wife, Philippa Braithwaite, own a £5 million farmhouse nestled on 130 acres.
But their quiet country life has been disrupted by a drawn-out dispute with their neighbours, Theo Langton and Ruth McGill, who live about 300 yards away in a mobile home.
Who Are the Neighbours?
Langton and McGill have been living on the site in a 45-by-16-foot mobile home for over two decades under a temporary rolling license.
They’ve now applied to turn the site into an official residential traveller location—for their personal use and that of their family.
The couple’s proposal includes the use of a barn for a dayroom and workshop, as well as permission to keep a mobile home, a touring caravan, and a mobile van on the property.
Clunes Pushes Back—Strongly
But Clunes is not on board with their plans—and he’s made that very clear.
In comments submitted to the local council’s planning portal, Clunes argued that his neighbours don’t meet the legal definition of travellers.
He criticised the idea that someone could be classified as a traveller based on appearances or participation in music festivals.
“You can’t call yourself a traveller just because you wear certain clothes or go to particular events,” he wrote.
Not Just a Lifestyle Choice
Clunes also pointed out that while Langton and McGill do sell handmade items at festivals, this alone doesn’t make them nomadic or qualify them as travellers in the eyes of planning law.
“If that were the case, then anyone who sells at festivals—or even the roadies who travel with bands—would count as travellers too,” he added.
He stressed that planning decisions should be based on legal criteria, not popularity or lifestyle.
While acknowledging the couple is well-liked in the community, Clunes insisted this should not influence the council’s decision.
A Bigger Picture—and a Growing Concern
Clunes also raised alarm over what he sees as a potential domino effect.
He claims that friends of the couple have already bought nearby land and applied to live there in a shepherd’s hut while growing vegetables in large polytunnels.
“If this gets approved, more people will follow suit,” he warned.
“It could turn into a New Age Traveller commune, and that’s going to make it very hard for the council to say no to future applications.”
Planning Process Delayed—Again
Although Dorset Council’s planning officers initially recommended approving the application, the matter was removed from the agenda last month.
Why?
A last-minute letter from Clunes’ legal team and new concerns over surface water flooding caused the delay.
The council stated: “This matter needs further investigation and will be brought back to committee as soon as possible.”
Council’s Official View
In a report meant for the planning committee, council officer Bob Burden wrote that the location was “relatively sustainable” and the proposal had no major visual or amenity issues.
In other words, the council didn’t initially see a reason to block the application.
Still, with the latest delays and legal objections, the final decision is once again up in the air.
What Clunes Wants to Happen
Clunes laid out two possible paths forward. Option one: deny the application and give the applicants time to move elsewhere.
Option two: offer temporary permission but require the couple to begin actively looking for a new site immediately.
In his words, “It’s up to the applicants to meet planning requirements—not the council to bend the rules.”
What’s Next?
With the legal back-and-forth still ongoing and council decisions repeatedly postponed, it’s unclear how this will end.
For now, Martin Clunes and his neighbours remain caught in a rural standoff—one where lifestyle, law, and land use collide in a very public way.