A LISS couple who deliberately fooled planning inspectors to get permission for a luxury flat above their horsesÕ stables on a remote farm now want to go a step further.

John and Pat Stroud lived secretly for 10 years above the horses hoping to force East Hampshire District Council to grant them a certificate of lawfulness for their home.

And in March 2000 members of the South Planning Committee said they had no choice but to grant a certificate for the home at Summerdale Farm in Hatch Lane.

Now that the Strouds no longer have to hide away, they want to open up their home by turning it into a two-storey house complete with conservatory, garden and porch.

East Hampshire District Council refused planning permission for the Strouds to alter and extend Summerdale Farm last year.

The reasons for refusal included the district councilÕs view that the proposed house would change the character of the group of buildings and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty from being of agricultural appearance to being residential. This would be in an area where residential development would not normally be allowed.

EHDC also said that the design of the proposed house would give the building a totally domestic appearance, which would detract significantly from the existing agricultural character of the area.

The council also considered that allowing the alterations would make it hard for them to turn down other plans to convert buildings in the area to homes.

This week the Strouds appealed against the councilÕs decision in front of Govern-ment planning inspector John Head, at a hearing in St Pauls United Reformed Church hall.

Mr Head said he believed the main issue was the impact of the proposal on the surrounding area and the AONB.

But Michael Dent, appearing for Mr and Mrs Stroud, said he believed that his clients had applied for a replacement home not alterations and minor extensions, and this had to be settled before the main issue could be considered.

Appearing for EHDC, senior planning officer, Nicky Powis, said the application had not been for a replacement dwelling and Sue Halstead, who was appearing both for EHDC and Liss Parish Council, said the district council had determined the application on the grounds that it was alterations and extensions to the existing building.

Mr Head made a site visit to Summerdale Farm on Tuesday and will announce his decision in the next few weeks.

The Strouds came out of hiding three years ago after gaining the right to keep secret home.

And they showed off their luxurious flat behind the unattractive corrugated iron outer walls. It was centrally heated and double glazed, and consisted of a large live-in kitchen, sitting room and one bedroom.

Mr Stroud told The Herald in 2000 that they hid away because they knew there was no chance of getting planning permission. Then they discovered they could get lawful residency if they kept up the deception for four years.

On one occasion he and his wife blocked the doorway with hay bales and stacked hay against the kitchen windows when they knew a planning inspector was due to visit.

ÒThe planning inspectors never actually asked us directly whether we lived here and we always gave the impression that we lived at the Eight Bells Pub in Alton,Ó said Mr Stroud in 2000.

But he claimed that for 10 years EHDC had emptied their dustbins and the postman delivered mail to the Summerdale Farm post box.

But in January l999 the couple produced the evidence they needed to show they had lived at Summerdale Farm for at least four years. It included invoices for carpets, letters from people who helped decorated the flat and assisted the Strouds with their move into it.