LOCALS have expressed their fury at plans to bulldoze a humble bungalow and replace it with a sprawling £1m “mega-mansion”.
The fresh glitzy home is set to come with a gym, sauna, cinema and six garages – but residents in Yarm, North Yorkshire, are furious.
Locals are furious following plans to bulldoze a bungalow in a sleepy cul-de-sac[/caption]
The property in Yarm was once home to former Premier League ace Patrick Bamford[/caption]
The bungalow – which once housed Leeds United ace Patrick Bamford – has sat derelict for four years.
Deep-pocketed consultant Ian Shipley nabbed the gaff for half a million pounds and has pushed on with the controversial plans.
Newcastle-based Mr Shipley and his family are reportedly planning to live in the house once complete.
A draft forwarded to Stockton Council reveal a proposed a “leisure wing” complete with a private gym and sauna, a double garage, outbuildings including an office, a children’s room, and an entire floor dedicated to a cinema and playroom.
A large rear garden and barbecue area are also part of the ambitious plans, which some locals claim are “completely out of character” for the conservation area.
Shipley has maintained the renovations would be in line with the surrounding Victorian and Georgian architecture, but locals don’t agree.
They told Sun Online: “Every window at the front of my house will just be looking out at brick.
“We’ve been here five years and we fell in love with our house because of the view and not being overlooked.
“We’ve worked all our lives to achieve this, bloody hard.
“This is our retirement home. And now we’re looking at considering other houses and properties.”
Neighbour Hannah Spencer feared the proposed three-storey home in Bridge Street, part of the town’s conservation area, would “overshadow” her home.
She said in an objection to Stockton Council: “This loss of light is deeply distressing and would fundamentally change how I use and enjoy my garden.
“It would remove a key source of daily natural light at the back of my property and restrict my ability to enjoy outdoor space for relaxation, socialising, or gardening-activities that are important to my lifestyle.”
The original plans included an extended leisure wing, which have since been revised and reduced following early resident concerns.
Computer-generated images released by Mr Shipley’s agents Pod Newcastle show modern open-plan interiors, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, and luxury finishes – claiming the house will “positively enhance the character of the conservation area”.
The planning bid says: “A design that is thorough in its analysis of the historic development and setting of its immediate context, obeying traditional detailing and striving to compete with the beautiful traditional materials.
“This scheme is testament that with the right client, truly wonderful architecture can be achieved.”
In another objection to Stockton Council, Dr Michal Przykucki wrote: “We believe that this could be clearly a very impressive house.
“However, it is pretty obvious that in its current form it is much closer to a country mansion than a house in a historic side street of a North Yorkshire market town.
“It is a great house in a wrong location, or alternatively, a wrong house in a great location.”
Meanwhile, archeologists have warned that the proposed site could be a former Quaker burial ground.
Tees Archeology warned: “This could be a complicated site if burials are present, both from a legal and an archaeological perspective.”
Mr Shipley has been approached for comment.
One couple are now considering moving if the plans go ahead[/caption]
The gaff was purchased for £500,000 by consultant Ian Shipley[/caption]