Furious neighbours in Dorset ‘millionaire’s row’ HALT £10m cliff-top super-development amid row over ‘Alcatraz-style watchtower’ on top of one of the mansions
- The £10m project involves building four homes including a neo-classical mansion in Canford Cliffs, Poole
- Claims a two-bed annex being built on land protected by a legal covenant being ‘disguised’ as an indoor pool
- Developers Bayview Developments halted work to avoid legal action amid an ongoing council investigation
- The ‘thing on the top of the main house looks like Alcatraz,’ says Clive Crossley, 91, resident of 22 years
A £10m cliff-top super-development in a seaside Dorset suburb has been halted after wealthy neighbours complained that an ‘Alcatraz-style watchtower’ has been built on top of a mansion.
The project that involves the building of four luxury homes including the neo-classical mansion on the exclusive plot at Canford Cliffs, Poole, Dorset, is part-way through completion.
But neighbours in the ‘millionaire’s row’ claim the developers have used the ‘cover of covid’ to allow the work to get ‘way out of hand’ compared to the original approved plans.
They claim a roof-top sun room has been attached to the mansion which looks like a ‘watchtower in Alcatraz’ and the foundations have been raised by 4ft to improve sea views.
A resident at neighbouring Ravine Court, who wished not to be named, said the pool house was being turned into a separate property while a hole was being dug for a swimming pool in the mansion’s garden
The roof top sun-room on the site will have views over the nudist beach in Studland, Dorset, circled
Early CGI of the development of the luxury mansion in Dorset (left) and for the new homes (right) in Dorset
The ‘Alacatraz-style watchtower’ will give new residents a beautiful view of the Dorset beach
The project that involves the building of four luxury homes including the neo-classical mansion on the exclusive plot at Canford Cliffs, Poole, Dorset, is part-way through. Pictured Beach huts at Canford Cliffs beach and, circled, the building site above them.
The site today viewed from the third floor balcony of the neighbouring flats which looks over the landmark of Old Harry (circled) – three chalk formations and among the most famous landmarks on the south coast – in Purbeck
They also claim a large two-bedroom annex is being built on land protected by a legal covenant which is being ‘disguised’ as an indoor swimming pool.
Neighbours have previously raised concerns that the new homes will ‘unbalance’ the exclusive seaside cul-de-sac and make it appear ‘common.’ Pictured: The development – marked with red dots – as it looks today
They also claim a large two-bedroom annex is being built on land protected by a legal covenant which is being ‘disguised’ as an indoor swimming pool.
Terraces pointing to the sea are also said to have been added to the annex without permission.
Neighbours say these additions have been added ‘incrementally’ during the pandemic when no planning officers could inspect the work.
They have previously raised concerns that the new homes will ‘unbalance’ the exclusive seaside cul-de-sac and make it appear ‘common.’
The bungalow as it look when the land was sold – residents in Canford Cliffs are now upset that this will be turned into homes and a luxury mansion
The original building used to have a glass house before it was demolished by ‘greedy’ developers
Developers Bayview Developments have now halted the work to avoid legal action amid an ongoing council investigation into the construction site.
The site is in the affluent suburb of Canford Cliffs and overlooks the millionaire’s row of Sandbanks.
It was previously home to the luxury Canford Cliffs Hotel until it was bombed in the Second World War.
After that the large detached bungalow was built on the sprawling 1.5 acre plot.
The bungalow was bought in 2020 by Bill Buckler, of Bayview Developments, for just over £3m and demolished.
His company set about dividing the site into three building plots.
They gained planning permission for a detached four bedroom house worth £3m on one plot and two semi-detached town houses on another.
They had plans for a £4.5m four-bed mansion and attached pool house approved on a third plot.
But alarm bells were raised when neighbours noticed no hole had been dug for a pool. Instead it appeared the structure was being turned into a two-bed annex with balconies pointing towards the sea.
Responding to residents’ concerns, the local BCP Council launched an enforcement investigation in March this year and warned the developers that any work carried out without permission could be subject to legal action.
Clive Crossley, 91, has lived in the private cul-de-sac for 22 years.
He said: ‘My issue was that they didn’t keep to the architectural language of the property but the council didn’t take any notice.
‘What is being built is not the scheme that was put forward.
‘It has been incrementally changed and has all been done under the cover of Covid.
‘I have no good feelings about what is happening here. It seems the developer is getting what he wants.
‘To me they have ruined what was a tranquil and very nice place to live. I don’t like to interfere with what other people are doing but I didn’t want it to get as far as this.
‘The problem is if you give way on one thing they just keep taking and it’s one thing after another.
‘That thing on the top of the main house looks like Alcatraz. It looks like a lookout you’d get at a prison.’
‘My issue was that they didn’t keep to the architectural language of the property but the council didn’t take any notice,’ said Clive Crossley, 91, who has lived in the private cul-de-sac for 22 years
‘That thing on the top of the main house looks like Alcatraz. It looks like a lookout you’d get at a prison,’ Mr Crossley (pictured) added
A resident at neighbouring Ravine Court, who wished not to be named, said the pool house was being turned into a separate property while a hole was being dug for a swimming pool in the mansion’s garden.
She said: ‘The council have said their legal advisers are assisting the developer to put the right applications through, which sounds rubbish. That basically means you can just do whatever you want and then they will tell you how to get it approved.
‘The illegal building has been lots of little things, like the size of windows and the annexe with the pool – there has never been a pool or a hole in it so we worry it’s just going to be another house.
‘There’s windows facing our garden on it and terraces, which we don’t believe are allowed.
‘The two houses were supposed to be semi-detached but they are detached and he put in a plan to change it after.
The plans which developers Bayview Developments drawn up for the new homes
Responding to residents’ concerns, the local BCP Council launched an enforcement investigation in March this year and warned the developers that any work carried out without permission could be subject to legal action
‘The top viewing room is visible from the beach and it looks like a bus shelter, said a neighbour who did not want to be named
‘It’s hard to tell what’s on the plans, but the drawings make it look smaller than it is, it’s huge.
‘The top viewing room is visible from the beach and it looks like a bus shelter.
‘It’s just not comparable to what was there before.’
A BCP Council spokesman said: ‘The investigation is continuing in regard to Meriden Close.
‘A Stop Notice has not been issued at the present time as work has voluntarily ceased on certain unauthorised works on site.
‘The developers have been made aware that any works undertaken without the necessary planning approval are at their own risk and could be liable to formal enforcement action.
‘The council have been in discussions with the developer’s agents in respect of the unauthorised aspects of the development and retrospective planning applications are currently in the process of being prepared for submission to the council in an attempt to regularise the situation, although there is no guarantee that planning consent will be forthcoming.’
Bayview Developments have been approached for comment.
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