Millionaire forced to demolish 'Britain's best man cave' after 10-year planning row

The tract of Graham Wildin's antheral cave which helium was forced to demolish. (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

Graham Wildin, 70, has spent much than a decennary warring to sphere his amerciable 10,000sq/ft leisure analyzable - and has adjacent served jailhouse clip implicit it.

The enactment has been ongoing since 2014 erstwhile helium built the 'man cave' with a bowling alley, casino and a cinema astatine the backmost of his location - without readying permission.

Forest of Dean District Council started pulling it down successful June - and drone pictures this week amusement it present resembles a 'concrete car park.'

The analyzable had sat down his location successful Cinderford, Gloucestershire and had astatine 1 clip included plush squash courts, brushed play country and bowling alley.

One section nonmigratory said they were delighted to spot it gone.

They said: "It’s astir time.

"We get a afloat presumption of it from here. Absolutely, I’m blessed to spot it go.

“I deliberation each the radical down the bottommost (of the road) are precise happy.”

Graham Wildin's antheral cave included a cinema (Image: David Hedges / SWNS)

Mr Wildin declined to remark connected the demolition but the afloat removal brings an extremity to a lengthy conflict to effort and sphere it.

Forest of Dean District Council confirmed the demolition was present implicit and they would beryllium pursuing costs from Mr Wildin.

A spokesperson said: “The demolition of the gathering built without readying support astatine Meendhurst Road successful Cinderford has present been completed, and the demolition and removal squad person present near the site.

“It is important to enactment that the outgo of this process should not beryllium borne by the taxpayer, and we are present moving to retrieve the afloat outgo of the demolition from the landowner.

“We would erstwhile again similar to convey section residents for their patience and knowing during this process.”

After receiving support to proceed with the demolition, the tract was secured connected 31 May 2024 to transportation retired the work.

This follows a lengthy ineligible process wherever Mr Wildin received aggregate tribunal orders to demolish the gathering and served clip successful situation for contempt of court, the assembly said.

Another diagnostic of Graham Wildin's antheral cave was a bowling alley (Image: David Hedges / SWNS)

Mr Wildin archetypal took steps to conception a leisure centre successful the backmost plot of 1 of 2 adjacent houses helium past owned astatine Meendhurst Road successful November 2013, prompting a subordinate of the nationalist to taxable a ailment to the Forest of Dean District Council.

Shortly aft the commencement of construction, assorted assembly officers advised Wildin that the projected gathering was not ‘permitted development’ and required readying permission.

Following a bid of warnings, successful November 2018 the assembly obtained an injunction against Wildin, and helium was fixed until 25 April 2020 to demolish the leisure building.

In ineligible proceedings brought by Forest of Dean District Council successful June 2022, Wildin was recovered successful contempt of tribunal for non-compliance with the injunction.

The justice sentenced him to six weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months, connected the information that the gathering beryllium permanently stripped and decommissioned wrong 18 weeks.

Wildin subsequently appealed the decision.

The entreaty was dismissed, and helium was fixed until March 10 2022 to comply with the Order to implicit the required work, if helium was to debar prison. Again, helium did not comply with the injunction and was sentenced to six-weeks imprisonment successful August 2022.

In March 2023 Wildin appealed the situation sentence, this was besides dismissed. The latest deadline for Wildin to comply with the injunction expired successful aboriginal January 2023.