A council has revealed it cost taxpayers £220,000 to have Britain’s biggest man cave demolished – and now it wants millionaire accountant Graham Wildin, who built the huge leisure complex, to foot the bill.
Forest of Dean District Council demolished and removed the 10,000sq/ft building in Cinderford, last summer.
The structure at the back of the Forest of Dean home of Mr Wildin, 73, had a bowling alley, casino and cinema and was built without planning permission in 2014.
It was dubbed Britain’s biggest man cave and the council was involved in a ten-year battle over the planning breach.
It has now revealed that demolishing the illegal development cost taxpayers around £220,000 to complete and that it has started proceedings to reclaim the full cost from the landowner.
The high profile case highlights the critical importance in complying with planning rules, council chiefs say.
And they say when individuals choose to ignore the rules, they not only act unlawfully but place an unfair burden on the wider public.
The authority says it will continue to act decisively to tackle planning breaches. Councillors praised the ‘extreme determination and courage’ of the council’s solicitor, Helen Clarke, at a recent meeting which confirmed her appointment to the role.
The structure was built in 2014 and Mr Wildin has been battling to keep it at his home in Cinderford, Gloucestershire ever since
Pictures show the flat section where the 10,000 sq ft leisure complex once stood in the garden of Graham Wildin, who repeatedly defied court orders to knock it down
Mr Wildin, pictured, had previously been locked up after he refused to remove the complex behind his home
Graham Wildin inside the leisure centre he built for himself and his family in his back garden
Mr Wildin’s spectacular man cave had room for a table football table alongside a comfortable sitting area
Mr Wildin’s man cave also included a casino complete with a roulette wheel and its very own bar
The structure even came complete with a fully equipped gym inside
Councillor Sid Phelps said the whole council should be ‘extremely grateful’ to her.
He said: ‘If nothing else, for her extreme determination and courage in taking on one of the biggest enforcement issues we’ve had in this council.
‘And, to be honest, if we hadn’t taken it on, this council’s enforcement would not have been worth a ha’p’orth.’
A council spokesperson confirmed that around £220k was spent on the completed demolition of the illegal development, as agreed at the full council meeting.
The spokesperson said: ‘These funds were drawn from council approved resources, and recovery proceedings are actively underway to reclaim the full cost from the landowner.
‘This case highlights the critical importance of complying with planning regulations. These rules are in place to ensure development is carried out legally, safely, and in a way that protects our communities and shared environment.
‘When individuals choose to ignore these rules, they not only act unlawfully but place an unfair burden on the wider public.
‘The council takes such breaches extremely seriously and will continue to act decisively to uphold the planning system and protect the interests of our residents.’
MailOnline has approached Mr Wildin for comment.
