A couple has been ordered to demolish their £1million home after they lied to the council, claiming it would be a "horse semen laboratory".
Jeremy and Elaine Zielinski were granted permission in 2014 to build a "stallion semen centre" with a small upstairs flat in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire.
Instead, they constructed what planning inspectors described as a "typical home from the off", complete with an island breakfast bar, TVs, sofas and bedrooms.
The planning inspectorate ruled in favour of South Cambridgeshire District Council, which had ordered the demolition of the property in July 2023.
A couple has been ordered to demolish their £1m home after they lied to the council in Great Abington (stock pic)
The couple had appealed against the council's decision, but the inspector determined that demolition was a proportionate response to the breach.
According to the planning inspectorate, the two-storey building was supposed to have a reception, office, kitchenette, lecture laboratory, processing laboratory and staff changing room on the ground floor.
While the exterior matched the approved plans, the interior was vastly different, with "little evidence" that the couple's "stallion semen business" ever operated.
Inspector Chris Peston noted that the couple had sold their original house on the site and moved into this new home, called Valentine Stables.
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The planning inspectorate ruled in favour of South Cambridgeshire District Council, which had ordered the demolition of the property in July 2023
Peston said: "No laboratory has been installed, no research or stored equipment associated with the business is apparent."
He found only one £44 transaction for "laboratory fees" for a horse named Dublin, which was unlikely to have been processed at the property due to the absence of testing facilities.
Peston explained: "Upstairs, where the staff accommodation was intended to be, there are two bedrooms, in the locations shown on the approved plans, and a living area/lounge equipped with a sofa and television."
Zielinski claimed the business never launched due to the Covid pandemic, but this explanation was rejected by the inspector.
He found only one £44 transaction for 'laboratory fees' for a horse named Dublin
Getty
Cllr Dr Tumi Hawkins, lead cabinet member for planning at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "We welcome the inspector's clear decision, which supports our commitment to upholding planning policies in our local plan and the neighbourhood plan designed to protect our countryside."
The council stated the case demonstrated the importance of "adhering to the specific uses and conditions that justify development in rural areas".
The Zielinskis must demolish the house and remove all waste material by May 6, 2026.
