Illegal changes to listed mansion lands millionaire with £40,000 fine

A millionaire who spent £750,000 on illegal changes to a Grade ll listed property has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of nearly £9,000 by a judge at Cardiff Crown Court.

The prosecution, brought by Monmouthshire Council, first came to court in July 2007 after businessman Andrew Hazell demolished part of the 250-year-old mansion, known as The Gondra, to make way for a garage and a swimming pool.

The court had heard that Hazell had extensively remodelled a cottage attached to the main house. During the alterations period features including six-panel doors, moulded architraves, plaster cornices, tall sash windows and marble fireplaces were ripped out.

Judge David Wynn Morgan commented that "features that were intended to improve had been added without consideration or sympathy rather like painting a moustache on an old master or adding a drum and bass track to music written by Mozart."

In March this year Hazell was ordered to restore the property to its original state within seven months. The court heard that restoration work had not yet started, partly because a protected bat population was found in the mansion.

Hazell had gone ahead with the original work despite being told he needed planning permission, listed building consent and buildings regulations approval.

He has been given a further six months to carry out the work. The size of the fine reflected the fact that he is expected to spend some £450,000 on remedial changes.

When the case opened last year it generated headlines because of claims made in court that the building's makeover mirrored the sort of tasteless development highlighted in the Footballers' Wives television series.

Roger Milne

11 September 2008