Businessman is ordered to remove ‘ridiculous’ Grecian pillars from entrance of exclusive park

A businessman has been forced to remove ‘ridiculous’ Grecian pillars and statues from the entrance of an exclusive residential park.

Robert Bull, the chief executive of Royale Life, sparked outrage when the elaborate ‘monstrosity’ was built without permission at the front of the development that is within a national park.

The structure included ‘prison-like’ brick walls and four stone pilasters with Greek statues in the middle of them.

New Forest District Council took enforcement action against the ‘over-ornate’ entrance of the site at Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, that is surrounded by a nature reserve.  

Robert Bull (left), the chief executive of Royale Life, sparked outrage when the elaborate ‘monstrosity’ was built without permission at the front of the development that is within a national park

The structure included 'prison-like' brick walls and four stone pilasters with Greek statues in the middle of them

The structure included ‘prison-like’ brick walls and four stone pilasters with Greek statues in the middle of them

New Forest District Council took enforcement action against the 'over-ornate' entrance of the site at Milford-on-Sea, Hants, that is surrounded by a nature reserve

New Forest District Council took enforcement action against the ‘over-ornate’ entrance of the site at Milford-on-Sea, Hants, that is surrounded by a nature reserve

Mr Bull appealed against the move and now a planning inspector has ruled the structure must be torn down.

The planning inspector agreed with the council that the structure was not in keeping with its general surroundings and should be taken down.  

The inspector, Graham Self, compared the ‘flamboyant’ design to like ‘plonking an Athenian mini-Erechtheion’ into a coastal plain.

He said: ‘In some locations, flamboyant design can be a virtue, or at least acceptable, but here, the pillars with overhanging capping are bizarrely over-ornate features, especially when combined with the statues and appear to have been in place when the enforcement notice was issued.

Mr Bull appealed against the move and now a planning inspector has ruled the structure must be torn down

Mr Bull appealed against the move and now a planning inspector has ruled the structure must be torn down

The inspector, Graham Self, compared the 'flamboyant' design to like 'plonking an Athenian mini-Erechtheion' into a coastal plain

The inspector, Graham Self, compared the ‘flamboyant’ design to like ‘plonking an Athenian mini-Erechtheion’ into a coastal plain

‘The overall effect is to create an appearance somewhere between a Roman bath-house and a kind of Athenian mini-Erechtheion plonked into Hampshire’s coastal plain.’

Royale Life, a bungalow development which is endorsed by singer Jane McDonald, now has three months to tear down the entrance to the Solent Grange park where park homes sell for up to £450,000.

The company had previously upset local residents after buying the caravan park that was previously there.

In gave notice for the owners of the mobile homes to leave.

Royal Life then exploited a 50 year old loophole in local planning law which states residents could live there all year round rather than the usual nine months.

Royale Life, which is endorsed by singer Jane McDonald, now has three months to tear down the entrance to the Solent Grange park where park homes sell for up to £450,000

Royale Life, which is endorsed by singer Jane McDonald, now has three months to tear down the entrance to the Solent Grange park where park homes sell for up to £450,000

A number of luxurious homes were then built and put up for sale.

In 2018 Royale Life built the grand entrance way.

In urging planning officials to reject Mr Bull’s appeal, local resident Cliff Blackman said: ‘I am appalled at the completely out of character frontage approach to this development imposes.

‘In particular the drive access, the huge walls and ridiculous pillars that totally afront you on walking past this monstrosity of a development.’

Chris Scott added that the 8ft tall walls ‘resembled a prison’.

After being told he was an illegal development Mr Bull said the structures should be seen as an improvement or alteration and argued they allowed under permitted development rules.

But Mr Self said: ‘No such permission was obtained. I conclude that the matters alleged in the enforcement notice constituted a breach of planning control.’

National and local planning policies supported the council’s action, the inspector ruled, and there was also a conflict with green belt policy.

Mr Bull also argued the requirements of the enforcement notice were excessive and the walls should be lowered rather than removed completely.

However, the inspector disagreed, ruling against him on that point too.

Royale Life has been approached for comment.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk