Former London banker who moved to countryside to run mushroom wellness centre is at war with neighbours in planning row over business

A former city banker who quit his day job so he could run a mushroom wellness centre is at war with his neighbours – after they branded his business a 'hobby'.Jon Wright, 44, relocated to the Hampshire countryside with his family during the Covid-19 pandemic.His wife, Holly, set up multiple businesses on the land based around nature and 'wellness'.These included a mushroom cultivation venture called Myndful Mushrooms, a sauna, a plunge pool, and a forestry school which educates children about nature.Mr and Mrs Wright, their ten-year-old daughter, dog and cat currently live inside a large geodesic dome on the land near Winchester.However, they are now fighting to keep their livelihood after they were told to lodge a retrospective planning application to continue working and living on the land.Neighbours have since objected to their home on traffic grounds – amid claims 'there is no need for them to live on agricultural land to support a hobby'.One local resident, Catherine Hawkins, said in her objection: 'There is no evidence that the Myndful Mushrooms "business" is, or will ever be a financially viable business, it certainly isn't at the moment, even though it has been running for some years now. Jon Wright (pictured), 44, relocated to the Hampshire countryside with his family during the Covid–19 pandemic'Therefore, there is no need for them to live on agricultural land, to support a hobby.'With all these businesses operating, the use of the track by vehicles has increased substantially.'The vehicles are not local, so have absolutely no concern or respect for a rural community. Walkers, runners and horse riders. So the businesses are having a negative effect on the area.'In 2023, Mr Wright applied for planning permission to live and work on the land but it was rejected – despite having over 30 messages from people supporting the application.The family recently submitted a retrospective planning application to Winchester City Council so they could continue their mushroom business and also build a lodge on the land to officially live in. But they have since faced several objections from neighbours who insist the home is creating excess traffic and that it is not viable.Mr Wright had moved his family from Hertfordshire to the outskirts of the picturesque village of South Wonston, near Winchester, during the Covid pandemic.Then a banker, the company Mr Wright worked for suffered financial difficulties. Mushrooms from Jon and Holly Wright's company, Myndful Mushrooms, on the off-grid site Jolly Moon in South Wonston, are seen hereHe said: 'We were pretty stuffed because the house we were in had a case of dry rot that our insurance didn't cover.'We called Citizens Advice, and they said to go to a food bank. We had been part of this system. Paid our dues. Never got in debt, never had criminal records, but in our time of need there was no help for us.'Setting up on the land in South Wonston, Mr Wright and his family launched their Myndful Mushrooms and JollyMoon businesses.He said that as a mushroom farmer, he grows functional mushrooms used for health benefits to the gut, skin and mental wellbeing.He said he uses an ex-supermarket refrigerated lorry to cultivate mushrooms in an environment that imitates their natural growing conditions.Mr Wright added he was able to buy the lorry for £400, despite being valued at £2,600.He explained he cultivates Lion's Mane, which can help people focus and has also been used to help with early-onset Alzheimer's; Reishi, which is good for hormone regulation and can be calming; and Chaga, which is good for sleep.The site also has a sauna and cold plunge, called the Sauna Works, which they said feeds into the relaxation they try to provide on the site.Mr Wright said the family grow their own food in the kitchen garden and they have homeschooled their daughter since moving to the site.Their forestry school, JollyMoon, helps bring 'families together in nature' and Mrs Wright teaches children about nature, he insisted.Defending his family's lifestyle, he said: 'There are certainly easier ways to live your life and making money across agriculture is not easy.'Most of the neighbours have been very supportive. There have been so many nice comments from people.'People are wanting to see change, but it is just a bit unnerving for people when it is in your neighbourhood.'It is trying to fit a new system into an old pathway. There are many other people doing things with land but we are just doing it a little bit differently.'Sometimes it feels like we are the forest people, and that is what people say about us, but we are raising a child and we want to demonstrate to her that we can try to have an influence and making a footprint on it.'People have said to us there is nothing like this in Winchester, it is so necessary.'Mrs Wright claimed traffic would not be an issue as a private road is used for access to the site.She added: 'We try to encourage people to lift share and cycle because we are right on the edge of the village.'A lot of people if they come to events, they come in one car so it is not a big issue.'We have got our own car park and this is a private road. It is up to us what traffic comes up here.'Mrs Wright said the family started their JollyMoon forestry school when their daughter was two years old.She said: 'I really didn't like going to church halls for messy play because I found it overwhelming, so I just wanted to bring mums together in nature and let the children be a little bit free range. Bring families together in nature.'I am very lucky that I have some very loyal people coming for the past five years.'She added she is a qualified forest school practitioner who teaches children from the ages of six months up to 11 years old and also holds holiday clubs.She said: 'It is all nature–based. Making crafts, art therapy, and to understand what our purpose is on our beautiful planet.'I was a singer so I drum. I bring community drummers together and we break bread together. We have sound baths here. We have yoga here. We have meditation.''We own this piece of land. Why can't we live on it? We are doing it sympathetically. It isn't like we are building like 260 houses on here or making it into a cash cow.'We are doing this for the love of it. Our daughter is now 10, and we got to a point where what if she turned around to us and said, 'Why didn't we do anything about this, about our planet.'The planning application awaits a decision.