Enforcement officers say that the work does not comply with agreed plans because the annexe is 20cm too wide, has a chimney, and a porch.

Stephen and Mary Kindred spent £200,000 transforming a decaying old barn into a luxury 'annexe’.

Mr Kindred, a heating engineer, said: “We have not done anything wrong, in fact we have kept the council officers and building control people up to date with all our architect’s drawings and plans and there have been no objections from anybody.

“This is a terrible joke that is fast becoming a nightmare and has cost us, so far, in the region of £200,000. Not to mention thousands of pounds in extras caused by legal fees, red tape, and the appeal to the Planning Inspectorate”.

Work in the front garden of their Fox and Hounds Cottage, in Forest Road, Hurst, started earlier this year after Mr Kindred, bought the former pub seven years ago.

He says he will use the new building as offices and it is equipped with a gym and three guest bedrooms.

He says the converted barn is 'ancillary’ to the main house and he has no intention of living in it, selling it or renting it out.

He added: “When we bought the property it already had planning permission for barn conversion and the new annexe does not look much different to the old barn.

“But they don’t like the chimney or the porch, claiming it harms the vicinity, and say the building is 20cm too wide.”

The Kindreds claim they offered to remove the offending chimney and the porch but say that council officers advised them to appeal instead.

Mr Kindred said: “One officer advised us to appeal, instead of doing alterations or submitting another planning application, so we did as advised.” Mrs Kindred said: “This is very upsetting because we thought we were doing the right thing by improving the old barn, which was in a dangerous condition. We are not overlooked by anybody and nobody has complained.

“They are quibbling over 20 centimetres. And how can a chimney and a porch be harmful to the countryside?”

Wokingham Borough Council planners served an enforcement notice on the couple on July 28, giving them two months to comply, or face legal action. The couple have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate and will know the outcome next year.

They have been told that the 'unauthorised building is in an unsustainable location, outside of settlement limits, in an area designated as countryside’. Clare Lawrence, head of development management and regulatory services at Wokingham Borough Council, told them in a hand-delivered letter: “The unauthorised building is tantamount to the erection of a detached dwelling, which is unacceptable in principle, and which has a harmful urbanising impact of the character of the countryside, contrary to the National Policy Framework and Core Strategy policies.”

Mrs Lawrence added: “It is also an unacceptable new form of development, in front of an existing dwelling (the former pub), in a position where permission would not normally be granted for a new dwelling, and is out of keeping and detrimental to the linear pattern of development along Forest Road.”

She says the offending building is contrary to the national Planning Policy Framework; Core Strategy Policy CP3; Managing Development Delivery Local Plan policy, and the Borough Design Guide.

The planning boss further states that the structure’s canopy (porch) and chimney have an 'unacceptable urbanising, harmful impact upon the rural and open character of the area.”

Council chief John Kaiser, executive member for highways, planning and tenant services, said: “People chance their arm, break the rules, and end up paying the penalty.

“Planning is no different to any other laws. One man who has had to demolish four flats in Woodley faces the Crown Court. We have got to be tough.”