A FARMER faces a nervous wait to find out whether he can keep his farmhouse.

John Cowap, of Cobden Farm, Little Budworth, has applied for retrospective planning permission for the property in which he already lives with his family.

If plans for the recently rebuilt rustic-brick building with blue slate roof, are rejected then the house could face demolition or major changes should the Planning Inspectorate not uphold any potential appeal.

A decision on whether the farmhouse can remain as it is will be taken by June 16.

Mr Cowap, whose cousin Ed manages the popular Hollies Farm Shop nearby, built the replacement home after the original building was found to be defective.

He said: “The house rebuild therefore took place as stated, all to match the new extension and all to the identical specification and workmanship.

“The replacement building is appropriate in form and character with no greater impact on the open countryside and also has no car parking issues.

“It also occupies the same footprint as the former house, and is therefore not materially larger.”

Mr Cowap was forced to build the new house after plans to refurbish the original building fell through after it emerged that walls were in danger of collapse.

Neighbours along Longstone Lane and the surrounding area will have until June to comment as part of the public consultation process.

Mr Cowap will then be contacted by Cheshire West and Chester Council two weeks to see if his retrospective application has been successful.

A CWaC planning officer said that even if Mr Cowap’s application was refused, there were two appeal stages and potential modifications that could be made before any potential major changes were enforced.