Millionaire's 10-year battle to save 'UK's biggest man cave' over as it's destroyed

Millionaire Graham Wildin, 70, has spent much than a decennary warring to sphere his amerciable 10,000sq/ft leisure analyzable - and astatine 1 clip included plush squash courts, brushed play country and bowling alley.

A millionaire's ten-year conflict to prevention Britain's "biggest antheral cave" is yet implicit - arsenic pictures amusement it has been wholly demolished.

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." 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.