London theatre producer must tear down 'fortress' home in Cley

A West End theatre producer has been told he must demolish his "fortress" home on the coast after a long-running dispute with a council.

Adam Spiegel, who is behind Hairspray and The Mousetrap, built Arcady in Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, in 2014, after gaining planning permission.

However, North Norfolk District Council said the "dominant" and "intrusive" home was not built as authorised.

Mr Spiegel, who has been approached for comment, lost a subsequent appeal.

The Planning Inspectorate said it required demolition of the unauthorised house by 18 October 2024.

Mr Spiegel had gained permission for a two-storey, contemporary-designed home, replacing a bungalow, after an initial attempt was turned down.

At the time, Arcady - which means "rustic paradise" - was approved on the basis that it was "sensitive to the local context".

The council then investigated the site following a complaint and found "inconsistencies" between the design and what was being built.

It told Mr Speigel to halt construction until a fresh planning application could be looked at but said work continued and no application was received.

Due its "height and prominence" Arcady is "harmful" for the Conservation Area because it "dominates the view" looking southwards, a consultation last year concluded.

"Indeed, by virtue of long street frontage and positioning on a bank, it presents a fortress-like appearance to Newgate Green," it said.

Arcady was described as "visually discordant" compared to the scale of other houses and cottages.

"The rectangular bulk of the dwelling also rises above the road and is highly visible and intrusive in the street scene," it added.

All avenues for resolution were "exhausted", it said, and an enforcement notice ordering the demolition was issued.

The Spiegels appealed and submitted revised plans, which received 31 objections and were turned down.

The Planning Inspectorate's decision came almost four years after the original enforcement notice was issued by the council.

"North Norfolk District Council welcomes this decision in what has been an important and complex case for the local community, the appellant and the council," a statement said.

"The council will endeavour to work with the appellants to deliver the required outcomes from these decisions."

The decision grants permission for an annex building and swimming pool to remain.

Find BBC News: East of of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story for us, email [email protected] or get in touch via WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830