A long running battle with the local planning authority means a site bought with the hope of business opportunity two years ago is now totally uneconomic, a Tavistock man has claimed. Marc Bassett is now asking West Devon Borough Council to buy the redundant agricultural buildings and 12 acres at Higher Wilminstone Farm because he says planners have made it impossible for him to develop the site for commercial use even though officers told him it would be suitable, he claims. The father-of-four has accused the planning authority of being 'obstructive and incompetent' — an incorrect stop notice ordering Mr Bassett to cease all non-agricultural work at his farm resulted in the council having to pay him £70,000 in damages and costs. Bought with the intention of developing the site as the repair arm to his 25-year-old car sales business in Pixon Lane and latterly as holiday accommodation, Mr Bassett said he had been led to believe the site complied with planning policies related to redundant buildings in the countryside. He said: 'I was told there was potential for developing the redundant agricultural buildings but now the place is a liability. 'I am not allowed to convert the buildings for holiday use and the only other opportunity is to lease them to a farmer, but consent would not be granted because of the effect it would have on nearby residents.' Mr Bassett spent £2,000 on his last application to convert a barn and former milking parlour and dairy into five holiday units but it was refused on the grounds that their current construction and materials — single block walls and sheeting — made them unsuitable for the proposed use. Four previous failed planning applications related to change of use of the buildings to light industrial and storage use, creating a new access road and improving visibility splays. He has been given permission to convert a traditional stone barn and the farmhouse on site for holiday use, but 40,000 sq ft of agricultural buildings on the 12-acre site remain redundant. Press officer for West Devon Borough Council Alison Stoneham said the compensation paid to Mr Bassett was covered by insurance and did not come out of taxpayers' money. She said he had been using part of the site as a car servicing area and a stop notice and an enforcement notice were issued against him. She said: 'Unfortunately, due to a legal technicality we had to pull back the stop notice and re-issue it and because of that Mr Bassett claimed compensation.' She said of Mr Bassett's 12 planning applications, four had been approved and five had been in relation to his car selling business — the first of which was dismissed on appeal. 'These applications were refused on highways matters and the impact on the amenity of neighbours who voice concern about that particular farm so regularly,' she said. The borough council is looking at ways of improving the planning service after experiencing problems. 'Current problems are inhibiting the delivery of cost-effective, high quality services in the planning service,' a recent report to the full council said.