Mark Dew, a collector of old vehicles at his farm in the Doward, has not complied with a Herefordshire Council enforcement notice to remove scattered cars, vans, and other non-agricultural vehicles by February 18. The council, which issued a similar notice in 2019 without follow-up, is now reviewing its position. Some vehicles remain on site despite a major auction last June.
In December, Herefordshire Council issued an enforcement notice to Mark Dew, requiring him to permanently remove all old vehicles from his farm in the Doward by February 18. The notice stated that the siting and storage of old and scrap cars, vans, and non-agricultural vehicles constituted “a material change of use” from farmland to mixed use without planning permission. Mr. Dew was warned that a retrospective bid for planning permission would not receive officer support, given the farm's location in the sensitive Wye Valley National Landscape.
This marks the second such attempt by the council. In 2019, a similar enforcement notice gave Mr. Dew six months to comply, but no further action was taken. Last June, an auction at Doward Farm featured what was described as Britain’s biggest-ever barn-find car collection, with around 200 vehicles sold under the hammer. However, some unsold scrap cars were moved following the recent notice, though many still remain scattered across the site, filling a barn and several fields.
Mr. Dew began his car-collecting hobby 40 years ago with the intention of establishing a motor museum. Over four decades, he amassed an assortment of vehicles on the land. A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council said: “We are reviewing our position before deciding on the next course of action.”