A man who was jailed after refusing to knock down buildings built unlawfully on “God’s land” has been criticised for wasting council and court time.
Michael Merrill, of Wirswall, Cheshire, had been embroiled in a planning dispute with Cheshire East Council for over a decade.
The 53-year-old was first served with an enforcement notice by the local authority in 2014 over the unauthorised homes, including one for his family and a second for his in-laws.
He had also constructed other buildings all in open countryside and without permission, the council said.
Merrill, who referred to himself in court as Adam, claimed he had the right to “live on the land” and that the Town and Country Planning Act did not apply to him and his wife.
This was however rejected by the judge.
The council was granted a High Court injunction in October 2022 which required the removal of unauthorised development at Six Acres on Wirswall Road, Wirswall, near Whitchurch.
After failing to comply with the injunction, Merrill was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months on January 26, 2024, for contempt of court.
Merrill has been jailed over the unauthorised buildings
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CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL
During court proceedings, the defendant claimed he was unable to comply with the injunction because the site was “God’s land”, though accepted he was the registered proprietor, the BBC reports.
Merrill was given further opportunity to comply with the injunction, which required all residential use of the land cease by July 2024 and all unauthorised development be demolished and removed by January 2025.
He however ignored the injunction, Cheshire East Council said.
The matter was referred back to court for further contempt proceedings.
Cheshire East Council served Merrill with an enforcement notice in 2014
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Merrill was sentenced in his absence at the High Court in Manchester on May 19 2025, to 12 months in prison.
As he failed to attend the court hearing, a warrant was issued for his arrest and he was ordered to pay the council’s costs totalling £56,800.
On January 12, 2026, Merrill was arrested and taken to prison to serve his sentence.
Local councillor, James Pearson, told the BBC that Merrill had been given “multiple opportunities” to comply with orders and knock down the buildings.
“The court has made a decision, the court has given an instruction and he’s still not complied, which is why he’s in prison,” he added.
Councillor David Jefferay, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “Prison is the ultimate sanction which can be handed down by a court in matters concerning unauthorised development.
“They are not proceedings which are taken lightly by the council.
“However, where there exists a continuing flagrant breach of planning control and where a landowner continues to carry out further unauthorised development, despite an injunction being in place, there is little option left to us.”