TV WRITER Nick Fisher is asking for legal recognition for his West Dorset hideaway.

The site, near Hooke includes a tree house on stilts, a ‘Gruffalo’ cabin, shepherd’s hut and a lake. It is also the home to many species of wildlife.

A planning agent, acting for the writer and self-confessed fishing fanatic, has asked Dorset Council to agree a ‘lawful development certificate’’ for the site – arguing that it has been in existence for more than ten years without problem. The application says the land is used for ‘conservation and leisure purposes’ which dates back to at least January 2005.

The site is about 1km to the south of Hooke and is made up of 7.5 hectares of open grassland and broad-leaved woodland with a heart-shaped large pond, all within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site itself is part designated as a Local Site of Nature Conservation Interest.

The application says the site was bought by Mr Fisher in 2004 who shortly afterwards had a wooden building put up in the woodland, known by the family as ‘the Gruffalo Hut’. It was first used for a Gruffalo themed 4th birthday party and over the years has been used for many children’s parties and sleepovers although is now in a state of disrepair.

The pond received planning permission in June 2005 and has been used for dinghies and sail boats by the family and stocked ever year with brown and rainbow trout. It has a decking and barbeque area alongside it.

Over the years a 230-foot zip wire, over two small ponds, has been added to the site together with several swings and a double swing seat in the woods.

Since August 2009 there has been a shepherd’s hut on the site which has been used for occasional overnight stays and in 2012 a tree house was commissioned for Mr Fisher write in with a small lake dug in front of it to encourage newts, toads and dragonflies.

The application lists a number of other conservation projects including a tree planting programme, hedging, beehives and building two deer hides as well as grazing cows around the lake. Dorset Wildlife say the work he has done on the site has considerably improved the environment for wildlife, including for several notable Dorset species.

Comments on the application can be made until May 4th with a decision expected to be made by a Dorset Council officer using delegated powers.

Nick Fisher has been one of a team of contract writers for Holby City.

He has also worked on a range of other TV programmes and has a number of books to his credit, including working with friend Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Mr Fisher has also written for a number of newspapers and magazines and created the BBC comedy Manchild for Nigel Havers and the Channel 4 fishing programme Screaming Reels. He also presented BBC Radio 5 Live’s Dirty Tackle fishing series. With Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall he co-wrote a number of River Cottage books including the River Cottage Fish Book, and was an advisor for the Catch and Cook courses at River Cottage HQ.

His first novel, Pot Luck, which is based in and around Weymouth is in the process of being adapted for television.