Winchester planners have vowed to crackdown on illegal building after unanimously refusing an application on a site where planning rules had been breached.

The owner of Bowlake Farm and Equestrian Centre, in Portsmouth Road, Colden Common, wanted to alter an indoor riding arena, built without planning permission, so it could be used to store hay and wood shavings.

But city council planners were determined the alterations should not go ahead and urged that the illegal building be pulled down.

Vice-chairman, Charlotte Bailey, said: "All too often, we seem to be impotent in sticking to policy and here's an opportunity where policy has been infringed and enforcement should proceed."

Thrse Evans, who said she knew the farm well, added: "The site has smartened up considerably, but that's not a reason to approve this application, which is totally against policy."

Planning permission for the indoor riding space was refused two years ago. But the late farm owner, built it anyway, officers told the meeting on Thursday.

An enforcement notice was served at the end of 2000, but officers confirmed that the building had not yet been demolished.

Their report said the applicant, the riding school management, thought the proposed alterations would "overcome previous objections to the building".

However, planners agreed the hay could be stored elsewhere and refused permission.