Norfolk man fighting to turn WW2 pillbox into home

Now 80 years later, a crumbling pillbox on the banks of a Norfolk creek has become the focus of a planning battle after a man's dream to turn it into a home was blocked by officers.

Lee Bishop, a builder based in Nordelph, near Downham Market in the Fens, hoped to give a new life to the structure at the bottom of his garden.

The pillbox, located in Mr Bishop's garden (Image: West Norfolk Council)

It followed an earlier attempt to demolish the pillbox entirely, which was later withdrawn following a backlash from fellow villagers.

Mr Bishop planned to create a three-bedroom house that incorporated the pillbox, turning it into a garden room and storage space that would look out across Well Creek, a waterway that runs through the village.

The architect's design for the new hose, which incorporates the pillbox (Image: West Norfolk Council)

However, the move continued to upset some villagers and conservation officers at West Norfolk Council (WNC), who worried the proposals would harm the significance of the historic building.

One neighbour complained that the pillbox is a rare example in Norfolk due to its scale.

The pillbox from the other side of Well Creek, partly obscured by the branches from the tree (Image: Owen Sennitt)

It was designed to hold an anti-tank gun and infantry and is, therefore, a different shape to the standard octagonal pill boxes dotted across the countryside and coastline.

"This is a serious concern, this would destroy its unique identity," said the villager.

Officers at WNC agreed and decided to refuse the application earlier this year.

Now Mr Bishop is fighting the decision and has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate - the government department that presides over planning disputes - to overturn the decision.

The pillbox has deteriorated over the years (Image: West Norfolk Council)

His architect and agent argued the project would support the pillbox's future by repairing the structure and giving it a new use.

In a letter submitted to the inspector, the agent said: "This will enhance the area by repairing and making good use of the pillbox."

But the council continues to support its decision due to the concerns it would result in the loss of a non-designated heritage asset and also that bats may be living in the pillbox - an assertion Mr Bishop denies, claiming the flying mammals would be unable to get inside as it is sealed.

Government officials will now assess the application before coming to a decision later this year.

The remains of a Second World War pillbox on Happisburgh beach (Image: iWitness 24)

LAST LINE OF DEFENCE

The pillbox in Nordelph is one of 28,000 that were built during the Second World War.

Many of these concrete fortifications appeared in Norfolk, as it was thought the county was likely to be the focus of a secondary or diversionary attack by Nazi forces, with the south coast thought to be the first place Germans would land in England.

This led to an explosion of pillboxes being built on beaches around the coast and five other lines of defence inland.

These locations were based along the rivers Ant, Bure, Wensum, Yare and Ouse - which is the line of defence the Nordelph pillbox will have offered.

Photo of the cast of Dad's Army (left to right) Clive Dunn, James Beck, John Le Mesurier, Arthur Lowe, John Laurie, Ian Lavender and Arnold Ridley. (Image: PA/PA Wire)

It was thought that if the coast was breached, the invasion could be resisted through these further stop lines, which would have been reinforced with reserves - likely members of the Home Guard famously depicted in the BBC series, Dad's Army. 

Historians believe the locations recommended for fortifications in Norfolk were the same that were proposed during the time of the Armada in 1588, suggesting the nation's defensive strategy had remained relatively unchanged for more than three centuries. 

Today, while many of these relics from the Second World War remain dotted around the countryside, they have fallen into disrepair.