Sir Paul McCartney has offered to bulldoze one of his houses in an effort to save the log cabin he built without planning permission.

The ex-Beatle is proposing drastic action to resolve his long-running dispute with Rother District Council.

Sir Paul, 64, said as part of a planning deal to save his beloved wooden lodge and pavilion at Woodlands Farm, Peasmarsh, he would be willing to demolish a house and two barns, also on the estate.

The multi-millionaire fell foul of planning officers when he built the secluded two-bedroom cabin, which includes a gym, without permission in his 933-acre grounds.

Members of the council's planning committee said it looked out of place in the area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and breached eight planning policies adopted by East Sussex County Council.

They threatened both buildings with demolition but in a desperate bid to save them Sir Paul is now offering to bulldoze his three-bedroom detached house Beanacres and two agricultural barns instead.

A supporting statement on behalf of the musician said destroying the house and barns would "more than compensate" for keeping the log cabin and pavilion.

Woodlands Farm has been the family home of Sir Paul, his estranged wife Heather, his late wife Linda, and their children for more than 25 years.

He said the wooden buildings, which reportedly cost more than £1 million and nestle in woodland overlooking a pond, were vital in giving him "privacy, security and seclusion" the farmhouse buildings could not.

Planners had resolved to enforce a demolition order on the wooden lodge and pavilion two weeks ago but have issued a reprieve to hear the new application in September.

Frank Rallings, head of planning at the council, said: "Obviously this has been going on for some time now but you are entitled to demolish a house and rebuild it on the same site, subject to planning permission.

"The question here is that the demolition is within the estate and its within policy, its just the location of the house that's the issue.

"In the event that the new application is granted then no further action will be taken in regard to the enforcement authorisation.

"Conversely, if the application is refused then action will be taken in issuing the enforcement notice."

Thought to be worth £750 million, Sir Paul also has homes in Hove, St John's Wood and Piccadilly, London, New York, a farm in the Mull of Kintyre and a ranch in Arizona.

In a letter support for the singer's application sent to the council, American fan TLC said: "It makes me very sad to hear that such a dedicated and talented artist who has given so much to our world will be denied his one request: a retreat that allows him the space and security needed to continue to produce the medium that we continue to ask of him, his beautiful music."

The secluded wooden lodge and pavilion were refused retrospective planning permission by the council in January.