A couple have filed a complaint with the ombudsman over a planning application for a barn near their home.

Steve Pope and his wife Janet, of Knell Lane, Ash, have lodged the complaint against the district council as they believe the application for a barn at Knell Farm was not advertised correctly

Permission was given last June for a large barn to store potato, grain and machinery.

Work has now started on the agricultural building and as a result Mr Pope, 50, claims that his land has been subjected to an eye sore including a 14 foot mud wall around the border of his home, which he worries will become a permanent feature.

He said: “My wife and I found out by accident last year that planning had been given to a 30 metre wide barn. It’s an absolute eyesore when I look out of the garden.”

Mr Pope said that had they been aware of the application they would have objected.

The council confirmed there was a notice put up at the site but Mr Pope claims that he would have needed to be on his neighbour’s property to view it.

There was also no advertisement in the local press, which Mr Pope believes is the general rule.

He is also concerned that the site may be larger than proposed and will not reduce traffic on the narrow Knell Lane as originally stated.

He said: “Part of the application was that it would reduce traffic but I later read that the farmer has applied for an operators licence for one HGV and two trailers on site.”

Mr Pope claimed the planning officer told him as the area is part of agricultural land that this type of traffic should be expected.

He has since received an apology from the district council, accepting that the plans were not advertised correctly.

A spokesman for Dover District Council said: “It’s not our policy to contact potential neighbours of a development but we have accepted as this is a major application that we should have advertised in the press.

“There has been a complaint made to the local ombudsman and a possible change of use to the application is being investigated at the moment.”

The council said an officer would visit the site to determine whether the mud wall is also in breach of the application.