Ricky Gervais has lost a planning battle to demolish his flood-prone mansion.
Ricky Gervais has lost a planning battle to demolish his flood-prone mansion
‘The Office’ creator, 63, had applied to build a four-bedroom, neo-classical home on the site of his existing three-bed property beside the River Thames, London, which has been hit by flooding at least five times since 1947, so he could replace it with a new £5 million house.
But the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead denied to give consent for his project earlier this month, Mail Online has reported.
The outlet added officials ruled the comic’s application that it did not meet local and national planning guidelines.
Ricky was said to have included CCTV pictures in his planning application showing how the main entrance of his existing riverside home, as well as his garage and back garden were submerged underwater earlier this year.
He had wanted to build a home on the site that would have included an open plan kitchen as well as a dining area with views of the Thames.
His plans for the two-storey residence on the site – which Ricky has referred to as his ‘little country retreat” – also reportedly included a home gym, drawing room, plant area and cloakroom.
Parish councillors said it was an “inappropriate” development on green belt land and too close to the house next door, according to the Mail.
Ricky’s planning agent had argued in a submission: “The existing dwelling is of poor design quality, performs poorly in sustainability terms and has a disjointed internal layout.
“Any new dwelling should therefore be of high design quality internally and externally with substantially enhanced sustainability credentials.
“The proposed scheme seeks to create a high-quality, sustainable dwelling that will be flood resilient and significantly enhances its build and natural surroundings, while also providing an enhanced standard of living accommodation.”
Ricky, who lives with his long-term writer partner Jane Fallon, 63, has an estimated net worth of at least £120 million and a huge property portfolio including a £14.75 million mansion with nine bedrooms, spa and tennis court in north London.
