Candice Hadfield, who has fought a seven-year battle with the council, said it was sad that they were still trying to stop her building her dream home.

"This is just one last-ditch effort to throw a spoke in the wheel," she said.

"They had to have one last shot and it is rather sad that the officers could not have been more grown up about all of this."

Mrs Hadfield, who lives in Mobberley, thought she had won the right to convert Little Meadow to a house three weeks ago.

Councillors accepted her plans for the barn in Great Warford and she thought that ended a fight which is believed to have cost the taxpayer £246,000.

But last week Mrs Hadfield, who has been granted a judicial review into the affair, was told the council had now called in the Environment Secretary to have the final say.

"The review is still in place until or unless the matter is sorted by the secretary of state," she said.