- .Stephen and Lucie Allen planned to build a luxury four-storey home
- .But plans have been thrown out after other residents complained
- They wanted to build a house with a gym, swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, a three-car garage, two studies and two sun terraces
- Sandbanks is the fifth most expensive location in the world to buy property
- The run-down house last sold on the market in 1998 for £665,000
By SAM WEBB
A couple who paid £3.5million for a shabby beach house and planned to bulldoze it to make way for their dream home have seen their plans washed away after being refused permission to demolish it.
Stephen and Lucie Allen had hoped to build a luxury four-storey, five-bedroom property in place of the run-down house in well-heeled Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset.
But they incurred the wrath of the notoriously fussy residents on the sought-after peninsula with their ‘ridiculous and atrocious’ designs.
Other wealthy residents described the proposed beachfront retreat as a ‘monstrosity’ that was too close to the sandy beach.
Is the dream over? This run-down house in the millionaire's resort of Sandbanks sold for nearly £3.5 million. The owners hoped to bulldoze it and build their dream home
Not happy: The proposed plans, whcih were thrown out after residents branded them 'ridiculous and atrocious'
Planners at Poole council have refused to grant the Allens planning permission for the development on the grounds that a rear balcony would have jutted out three metres beyond the building line.
Richard Genge, a planning manager at the Borough of Poole, said: 'We concluded that the proposed development would dominate the rear of the site along Sandbanks beach and harm the character of the shoreline.'
Successful businessman Mr Allen, 53, had declined the opportunity to enter into pre-planning talks with officials.
The couple, who have four children, currently live in a six bedroom house worth £1.8million in the leafy Canford Cliffs area of Poole.
Plans: Richard Genge, planning manager at Poole Council, said the proposed development would dominate the rear of the site along Sandbanks beach
Desirable: Confused as to why the price of a shabby house is so high? This sea view is the reason
Views: The property boasts incredible views of the sea to the front and picturesque Poole Harbour (pictured here) to the rear
But it is thought they intend to swap suburban living for the beach after snapping up the Sandbanks house that sits on one of the area's most enviable plots.
The property boasts two-way views of picturesque Poole Harbour from the front and the beach and sea to the rear.
It is one of the last properties of its type on the peninsula that has yet to be developed.
Despite its rather ramshackle appearance, pound for pound the 1950s house is the most expensive on Sandbanks as it equates to £1,725 per square foot.
The Allen’s proposed dream home features a gym, swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, a three-car garage, two studies and two sun terraces.
It is expected to cost up to £1million to develop.
Needs work: The house cuts a rather sad figure next to its more glamorous neighbours
A shortage of property, and views like this, have made Sandbanks the fifth most expensive location in the world to buy property
Location: An aerial view showing the house on the Sandbanks peninsular
But the plans were thrown out by planners after being met with a wave of criticism.
Banks Road resident Andrew Wong described the house as a ‘four storey monstrosity’.
He wrote in his letter of objection: 'Not only will it look absolutely atrocious but it will adversely affect the ambience of the residence each side.
'Sandbanks beach is very special and the houses are regimented in line... if one individual house is allowed to break this line then it will open the floodgates for extensions out.'
The conservation group, the Sandbanks Association, said the proposed property was unacceptable.
The owners of the house (pictured centre) will be able to walk straight onto the beach from their new property
Inside the £3.45m house: Estate agents have described the deal as a 'sensible price'
The run-down house is to be demolished and rebuilt, at the cost of another £1m to its new owners
Sandbanks is rated as the fifth most expensive location in the world to buy property, with only Manhattan, Tokyo, Hong Kong and London ahead of it.
Its high profile residents include Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp and computer magnate Sir Peter Ogden.
Its wealthy residents are currently in battle with Tesco over its plans to build a Tesco Express store there.
Locals claimed the store would look ‘like a filling in a set of teeth’ and thought a Waitrose or Marks and Spencer would be more suited to the affluent area.
David James, of David James Architects which drew up the plans for the Allens, confirmed that the couple intend to submit a revised plan in the near future.
QPR manager Harry Redknapp (left) and former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness (right) both have homes on Sandbanks and will know the area after both having managed nearby Southampton
The property has the appearance of a home that hasn't been lived in for some time
Round two: The couple intend to submit a revised plan in the near future
The property is one of the last of its type on the exclusive spot that has yet to be bought up and developed
In need of repair: Its current status hardly befits the lofty multi-million price tag
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