£4m luxury home faces demolition after Channel 4 star’s complaint
A man may be forced to demolish his £4 million home after his Channel 4 star neighbor complained about a balcony overlooking a garden.
Neil Kennedy, 69, has been involved in a planning dispute with celebrity interior designer Celia Sawyer, known as “Mrs Bling,” who lives next door in affluent Sandbanks, Dorset.
The retired accountant tore down his old chalet bungalow that overlooks Poole Harbour in 2023 and rebuilt it as a stylish three-story development.
But Mr. Kennedy’s neighbor, Garth Weston, was left fuming when he realized Mr. Kennedy’s builder hadn’t stuck to the approved plans during the construction process.
The unauthorized changes included extending a balcony which then overlooked Celia’s garden.
Celia – who stars in Channel 4’s Four Rooms – claimed the bigger balcony invaded her privacy, especially as she often sunbathed in her bikini.
Windows were also added to the side of the house, including one that looked directly into Mr. Weston’s bedroom, and a noisy air conditioning unit was built on the flat roof.
BCP Council told Mr. Kennedy he had to apply for retrospective planning permission for the property which has three bedrooms and an indoor swimming pool and gym.
Officials approved this in January 2024, much to the annoyance of Mr. Weston and Ms. Sawyer who accused the council of failing to stand up to their neighbor.
Mr. Weston ended up taking the local authority to the High Court over the matter, claiming the planning process had been unlawful.
Most significantly, he said, was that the council planning officer failed to visit the site and so could not get a clear understanding of the impact the changes had on Mr. Weston and Ms. Sawyer’s homes.
Judge Andrew Keyser KC ruled in Mr. Weston’s favor, rendering the planning consent invalid.
He said: “The officer did not visit the properties; arguably this did not enable a correct understanding of the subject development and the impact on neighboring properties.
“The errors in the officer’s report went beyond typing errors and there was a material misunderstanding of the factual position which renders the decision unlawful.”
The judge quashed the council’s decision, leaving Mr. Kennedy’s home illegal.
He also ordered Lib Dem-run BCP Council to pay Mr. Weston’s £14,754 court costs. The local authority has refused to disclose its costs.
More than two years later Mr. Kennedy has now submitted a fresh planning application in a desperate bid to be allowed to keep his three-story home.
The application is to “erect a replacement dwelling” even though it is already there.
His planning consultant Martin Hanham appeared to lay the blame at the feet of the builders and architects who carried out the work, claiming Mr. Kennedy was unaware that consent would be needed for any changes.
In a letter to the planning department Mr. Hanham said: “I would like to point out that my client is not a builder or developer, but a retired accountant.
“Having secured planning consent for the replacement dwelling, he put all the building works in the hands of a local construction company who appointed another firm of architects to deal with the building regulation application.
“My client was aware that very minor changes were made during the construction phase but he was not aware as to whether any form of planning consent was required and if so whether such consents had been secured.
“Given that all the changes made to the approved plans have now been inspected on site by your council and it has been confirmed none of the changes made raise any planning issues, I trust that an approval will be forthcoming in the near future.”
The Sandbanks Neighbourhood Forum has objected to the latest application stating the design does not comply with the policies on overlooking, impact on neighbors, and noise.
They said: “The plant location or noise generation should be properly considered as it is right next to the east boundary and also reinstating the privacy screens from the first approval, the only current approval.
“We suggest the Planning Officer makes a proper assessment of this application.”
It does not appear that any enforcement action has been taken against Mr. Kennedy, despite the house not being approved in its current form four years after it was completed.
Deputy Editor
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