DON'T DOODLE
Artist at war with council over plan to build seaside home laser cut with DOODLES in ‘Britain’s only desert’
The fate of the home will be decided this month
A WORLD-famous artist called Mr Doodle is locked in a council dispute over plans to build a "quirky" seaside home inspired by his work on a picturesque beach.
Sam Cox, 28, has submitted a planning application to construct the unique detached property in Dungeness, Kent - which is known as "Britain's only desert".
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Computer-generated images show how the home designed by Mr Cox would be surrounded by a rusted metal exterior which will be laser cut with doodles.
But some neighbours and his local council have objected to the proposal claiming the new home would not be in keeping with the historical character of the area.
Lydd Town Council said the metal facade would "not be in keeping with the historical value of Dungeness" and could "impact the environmental value of the area" which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
It has also raised concerns that wildlife could get stuck in the doodles and that increased visitors to view the house could have a negative impact on traffic.
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Architect Guy Hollaway, who designed the home with the renowned artist and internet sensation, has defended the appearance.
He claims the doodles are "visually subtle" and everything has been carefully selected to "merge into the landscape".
He said: "Dungeness Beach has many rusting metal features which form part of its unique landscape, such as disused train rails and metal structures.
"We're proposing to clad the building in corten steel, which is rusting metal, which will merge into the landscape.
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"The doodle apertures are quite small and similar in scale to the corten facade apertures we designed for Pobble House [also in Dungeness].
"We completed Pobble House some 10 years ago and there have not been any problems with wildlife being trapped within the facade.
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"We would, therefore, envisage this facade would perform in the same way and this wouldn't be an issue."
If approved, the single-storey three-bedroom home would replace a bungalow already on the site and would be built on the same footprint.
Two historic railway carriages are incorporated into the building which will be carefully dismantled and restored by an off-site specialist joiner to their former state.
They will then be put back in their original position where they will be waterproofed, insulated and "clad with a doodle-embossed metal outer skin".
What are your rights?
Planning permission guidance according to gov.uk
You will need to request planning permission if you wish to build something new, make a major change to your building or change the use of your building - for example starting a business.
To find out if you need planning permission you should contact your through your council.
If planning permission is refused you can
You are able to appeal if you were refused planning permission for reasons that you think go against the LPA's development plan or planning policy (you can usually find these on their website).
You can also appeal if you were granted planning permission with conditions you object to - you'll need to explain why you think they're unnecessary, unenforceable, vague, unreasonable or irrelevant.
Another ground for appeal is if the LPA has not given you a decision on your application and 8 weeks have passed since the date they told you they'd received it (or a different deadline you agreed with them has passed).
Lydd Town Council also felt the changes to the carriages would "result in loss of character", but Guy says the upgrades will improve their historical value which is lost in their current form.
He added: "The carriages are currently clad in white timber and completely unrecognisable as carriages, our proposal is to celebrate the form of the carriages by recladding them so you can see their shape and character which is currently completely lost.
"We have carefully designed the house to reflect the local vernacular in its form and materiality, the architecture will, as a consequence, merge into the landscape and the surrounding context.
"The doodles are visually subtle and only recognisable when viewed from a close distance.
"This is a home for our clients which will be discreet and will form part of the Dungeness backdrop."
The larger carriage will be turned into the home's kitchen to allow for a more functional space while the second carriage will be used as a study.
The proposal also introduces solar panels, hidden behind the mesh facade to maximise solar energy while not impacting the view for neighbouring properties.
An air source heat pump and underfloor heating will also maximise the efficiency of the home.
The doodles are visually subtle and only recognisable when viewed from a close distance.
Guy Hollaway
Documents submitted to Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) by Hollaway Studio says: "The contemporary proposal is in keeping with the quirky and independent character of Dungeness while the freeing of the railway carriages, and chosen material palette, maintain a respect and empathy for the established historical vernacular."
The fate of the home will be decided this month by FHDC's planning committee.
Mr Doodle began to garner recognition in the art world in 2015 and has since seen a meteoric rise in interest in his work.
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He was said to stand at the forefront of a "new art wave", taking the online art community by storm with a mass social media following of millions of people.
He previously decorated a 12-room mansion in Tenterden, Kent, entirely in black and white doodles - both inside and out.
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