A millionaire from Gloucestershire has been jailed for six weeks for refusing to demolish an unauthorised leisure complex built in his garden, following a long-running planning dispute.
Graham Wildin, from Cinderford, was sentenced for contempt of court at a hearing in Cardiff. The construction, dubbed 'Britain's biggest man cave', features a bowling alley, cinema, squash courts, casino and bar, and was built in 2014 without planning permission.
Forest of Dean District Council obtained an injunction in 2018, ordering Wildin to demolish the structure by April 2020. He was found in contempt for non-compliance, and in July 2021 the High Court gave him a suspended 12-month sentence on condition the complex was permanently stripped and decommissioned within 18 weeks. After an appeal was dismissed, he was given until 10 March 2022 to comply.
Deputy council leader Paul Hiett said: 'In what should have been a completely avoidable situation, Mr Wildin has continually ignored planning law and policies. The law is the law and we won't give up pursuing Mr Wildin and ensuring that he complies with the legislation in exactly the same way as everyone else.'
Once Wildin has served his sentence, he will still be required to remove the additions to his home.
