Millionaire couple to demolish 'enchanting' £5m Victorian mansion and replace with Grand Designs-style new build
A MILLIONAIRE couple are set to demolish their £5million Victorian mansion after their plan to replace it with Grand Designs-style new build was approved, council documents have revealed.
Euan and Harriet O'Sullivan want to replace the 'enchanting' 20th century mansion with a modern six-bedroom brick and flint house.
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The Victorian Society, which campaigns for the preservation of historic 19th-century buildings, has rejected the couple's plan to rebuild.
Nevertheless, work continues as usual rich pair who hired McLean Quinlan Architects – the brains behind several houses on Channel 4's Grand Designs show – to build their new home.
The six-bedroom country house, Apuldram House, is located on the water at Dell Quay Chichester.
The O'Sullivans bought the late Victorian house for just under £5 million in 2020.
Once the new build is complete, the property is expected to be worth around £7 million.
The association branded the plans “extremely disappointing” and urged the O'Sullivans to build on empty land rather than “wastefully raze” historic properties.
A spokesperson for the Victorian Society told The Sun: “In the Council's own assessment, Apuldram House was recognized as a building of architectural and historic interest.
“This, and the fact that it is in a conservation area, means that the Council should have been justified in refusing the demolition application.
“Their decision to grant permission in this case is confusing and weakens our confidence in Chichester District Council to make the right decisions regarding historic buildings.”
LOCAL ANGER
A local resident, David Moore, called for the house to be renovated.
He added: “Apuldram House is well suited to its environment and can be retained and renovated with significantly less environmental impact than that caused by demolition and reconstruction.”
Others claimed the demolition was “not culturally or environmentally justified.”
Harriet revealed that the family simply wants to “build a home for our young family that responds to our needs, as well as the unique and beautiful setting of the property.”
Her husband told The Time: “The Victorian Society originally objected to our application on January 31, 2023.
“They applied to Historic England to have the house listed, but Historic England rejected the application at the initial assessment on April 5, 2023, stating: 'Apuldram House does not possess the necessary architectural or historic interest required is for inclusion on the list'.”
The property was built in the early 20th century and is considered a “non-designated heritage site”.
This means that it does not meet the requirements for urban development protection.
We simply want to build a home for our young family that responds to our needs, as well as the unique and beautiful setting of the plot.
Harriet O'Sullivan
The O'Sullivans' architects said the couple originally planned to renovate but decided to demolish and rebuild to take advantage of the site's energy performance.
The couple's application was approved by Chichester District Council planning bosses by six votes to four after hearing that the “detrimental” change to the original design meant the appearance was now “detrimental” to the conservation area.
However, The Society, which is campaigning against the plans, refutes this argument, claiming the “house existed before the designation of the conservation area”.
Council leader Adrian Moss said the new development would be “much more in keeping with the harbor and less intrusive on the landscape”.
Grand Designs favorite Mclean Quinlan Architects has been responsible for several modern townhouses
One of the properties, Devon Passivhaus, was shortlisted for RIBA's House of the Year award.
Mclean Quinlan Architects managed to transform what was once a place for precious livestock into an incredibly high-quality architectural home.
It features ultra-modern floor-to-ceiling windows with block-style interiors.
The Sun has contacted Chichester District Council for comment.
It comes after an unsold underground reservoir that almost from the hit series Grand Designs is about to undergo a major transformation.
And shocking photos of a mansion called the “saddest ever” Grand Designs home shows disastrous cracks that have condemned the property to a cheap deal
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