The Environment Agency (EA) wants to build a 465-metre long dam on a parcel of Gary Sharp’s scenic Essex farmland to save Chelmsford’s historic urban centre from being deluged. But the 54-year- old is going to extreme lengths to deny the EA acces to his land.

Mr Sharp has bought-up neighbouring land, turned down compensation deals and spent thousands in court in a bid to prevent the dam being built.

The father-of- two is preparing to challenge an obscure piece of waterworks legislation at the Court of Appeal early next year in an attempt to scupper the EA’s plans. Only last month, MPs suggested the EA be stripped of its flood defence responsibilities, in what would be a huge embarrassment for the Government agency. But Mr Sharp is adamant he will continue to impede the flood protection works from being built on his land.

The farmer, who has a 1,500 strong herd of cattle, said: “Why shouldn’t I fight it? “It’s my land at the end of the day and it’s my livestock. Why should they take it away and do whatever they like?” He added: “I don’t think I’m being selfish. The city council owns a huge area, Hylands Park in the south of Chelmsford – why doesn’t the Government put it on their own land?”

The EA says the Chelmsford scheme will save 548 homes and 235 commercial properties, in and around the town’s Old Moulsham shopping quarter, from up to 500m gallons of gushing water if riverbanks burst.

The entire county capital, crowned Britain’s youngest city during the Queen’s 2012 jubilee, is uniquely situated in a sprawling flood plain. But the EA operation rests on building the 5.2m-high wall and sluice gates around 10 miles upstream on Mr Sharp’s land. The EA effectively wants a part of his impressive portfolio of 1,200 acres, nestled within the villages of Margaretting and Stock, to be sacrificed as the city’s flood zone.

When the agency tried to purchase the neighbouring 680-acre Margaretting Hall Farm, priced at £8.25m, after owner John Currie died in January 2014, Mr Sharp bought it instead.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) select committee MPs published a report, on 28 October, claiming the EA was “over-reliant” on traditional defences and suggested more natural measures like planting trees. North West National Farmers Union director David Hall, who spearheaded the response to Cumbria’s devastating floods last year, described it as “the right solution”.

Since the council gave the Chelmsford scheme permission in February 2013, Mr Sharp’s case has reached the High Court at least twice, and is due to reach the Court of Appeal by the end of February.

It is understood the appeal will challenge the EA’s use of Section 165 and Section 177 of the Water Resources Act 1991, which gives government authority over land. Mr Sharp said: “I don’t know exactly know how much I’ve spent but it’s not the amount of money that matters.”

Lifelong Chelmsford resident Jim Rankin, 32, who manages a farm shop less than 100 metres from the River Wid banks, said: “The scheme seems like a waste of money. I’ve lived in Chelmsford my whole life and seen flooding around the Wid, but it’s never got near here so I can’t see it affecting us. It seems like overkill.”

But Chelmsford City Council leader Roy Whitehead, who described the upcoming hearing as a test case, said: “It’s frustrating. “My personal view is Mr Sharp is clearly looking after his own interests and by doing so it could put the residents of many, many, houses in Chelmsford at risk of flooding.

“However, a lot of the residents at risk of flooding are undoubtedly unaware of what’s going on, and often you only know about the risk of flooding until it comes through your front door. “Flooding so far in Chelmsford has been relatively modest, but if you’re told by professionals the city’s going to flood, you listen and take precautions.”

The EA has defended the flood relief scheme as vital to the future of the city. An EA spokesman said: “The Chelmsford flood alleviation scheme will provide vital flood protection to over 900 homes and businesses in the Chelmsford area.