A couple who turned a bunker into a bizarre second home have lost a planning battle after an inspector ruled it was missing one rather obvious feature - windows. 

Nigel Barker and his wife Louise turned a former chemical treatment plant in picturesque Dartmoor into a 'peaceful' bolthole 200 miles away from their home in Crawley, West Sussex. 

They purchased the Soda Ash building from South West Water in 2015 and had used the stark 1970s block as a private residence for eight years - often staying for weeks at a time. 

Mr Barker also claimed he was staying there when the first Covid lockdown began in 2020 and was forced to remain inside for around three months. 

But when Dartmoor planning officials caught wind of the family's unusual countryside hideaway, they refused to give it official status as a lawful second home - concluding it was not really a dwelling.

The parish council also objected to the concrete block's new use as a second home as an 'inappropriate development', adding: 'It doesn't seem to be a dwelling to us. 

'We couldn't see any evidence of windows, no running water or sewerage and no means of waste collection.' 

Planning officers said the building had been divided internally by Mr Barker into two rooms - a main living area and a separate bedroom behind a timber door. 

The bedroom contained a double bed, pine chests of drawers, shelves, clothing and personal items. 

In the main room, officers from Dartmoor National Park found a small chemical toilet in the corner and an unconnected sink basin sitting on top of a metal bin. 

They said there were no taps to the sink and understood there was no running water or foul drainage. 

A gas camping stove had been placed on a workbench next to an upright fridge-freezer, with a microwave above it. 

At the time of the authority's site visit, officers said there was 'no evidence of a shower or bathing facilities within the building or outside the building'. 

Mr Barker confirmed there were no utilities registered to the building, such as water, gas, electricity or broadband. 

However, officers saw electric cables, plug sockets and extension leads serving electrical items. 

He said the electricity being used came from a supply connected to South West Water and that he had tried to contact the company to arrange payment, but had not received a response. 

Water was brought in by bottle and tank - while the building was not registered for council tax or refuse collection. 

Dartmoor National Park Authority concluded: 'The existing building is lacking in provision of natural daylight, running water, sewerage, drainage, has no bathroom and has only rudimentary kitchen facilities. 

'It is, therefore, not considered that the "Soda Ash" building is a "dwellinghouse".' 

Officials added that the building did not have 'the appearance or nature of a dwellinghouse' and offered 'facilities less than would reasonably be considered necessary for day-to-day living'. 

At an appeal, the Planning Inspectorate accepted the building had changed significantly over time. 

Inspector Richard Curnow said the interior had initially been 'extremely basic', with occupants using air mattresses and even 'a tent' pitched inside the building. 

By the time of the inspector's visit in 2022, however, 'things had greatly changed'. 

The smaller room contained 'a double bed, shelving with DVDs and books and a television', while the larger room included 'seating, domestic furniture and paraphernalia, a bottled gas hob and microwave, fridge and functioning sink'. 

The inspector also found an area containing 'a shower, and a chemical toilet' loosely divided from the rest of the space. 

Mr Curnow accepted that the building had many of the practical features of a home, including two skylights installed by Mr Barker. 

However, the appeal ultimately collapsed because there were still further basic requirements that were missing - including fresh air which could only enter the property by opening the large steel door.

The inspector added: 'The lack of windows, or, for that matter, glazing in the door, means that natural light entering the building is limited to a sun tube running from a rooflight to the ceiling of the main room when the door is shut.'

He told how 'electric lights were required to remain on throughout my site visit.' 

Upholding the council's decision to refuse a certificate of lawful use, Mr Curnow concluded that the building 'does not pass the test' to be considered a house, even if Mr Barker chose to live in it as it was. 

Dismissing the appeal, he added: 'I find that the lack of windows is fundamental, and is not outweighed by the presence of other facilities.' 

Nigel and Louise Barker told the Daily Mail: 'It isn't an industrial bunker, or a chemical treatment plant.

'It was a little empty building no bigger than a holiday caravan tucked away in a valley by a reservoir.

'We didn't want to develop it, I love it how it is and just wanted to stay there as a very basic base when I go down to Devon doing my love of photography of Dartmoor and its wildlife and walking.

'It's a shame it has been refused just because the building didn't have much natural light.

'I didn't want to change anything but the "use". There were no planning applications put in to change anything but the use. Even though the council put up notices to say we wanted to convert to build holiday homes, we made them take them down as it wasn't quite the truth.

'They did reword it to sound better but it was upsetting and we had to reassure the lovely people living nearby that it was incorrect.

'I like the quiet and peacefulness in a beautiful county. Why would anyone want to change that?'