I’m raging after eyesore newbuild with ‘Alcatraz tower’ sprang up blocking my ocean view – it’s ruined my life
A MAN who lives on millionaires' row has blasted a whopping new "Alcatraz-style watchtower" which blocks his ocean view.
Clive Crossley, 91, has spent two years fighting the development of a new-build close to his home overlooking exclusive Sandbanks, Dorset.
The retired business consultant bought his own detached bungalow in cul de sac Meriden Close for £392,000 in 1999. It's now worth £1.5million.
When he first moved in, the only building standing between his home and the seafront was a single-storey chalet.
However, three years ago, the plot was sold for an astonishing £3.2m.
Builders immediately tore down an orchard and began building a three-storey mansion worth £4.5m.
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Eventually, four luxury homes - including the neo-classical mansion - will be built on the land.
However, Bayview Developments has recently halted the work to avoid legal action amid an ongoing council investigation into the construction site.
Clive told The Sun: “When we moved into the house 22 years ago, we had an uninterrupted view of the sea past the chalet and a lovely orchard.
"It was a lovely place to live with every building conforming to a certain style.
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"Now they are just monstrosities."
Sandbanks offers some of the most sought-after real estate in the country. It covers just 3,832.3 acres in total, with 800 pricey homes squeezed onto the stretch.
Last September, Harry and Sandra Redknapp's seafront home sold for a record £10m.
However, even run-down properties can sell for eye-popping sums.
In 2020, a small plot of land sold for a £3.5m.
Clive said: “Before this, all that stood between us and the water was a single storey chalet.
RESIDENTS' FURY
"Now we wake up to a monstrosity of a three-storey mansion. It’s ruined our view - in fact, we don’t have a view, it has been obliterated."
He said he's fought "tooth and nail" to stop development on the land, but admitted: "I've now run out of legal options to have the buldings pulled down.
"I don't want to come across as a poor loser, but this is just plainly wrong.
"It's definitely affected the value of our property because we've lost the view that everyone wants when they move down to this part of the world."
He said council officials "seem to have sided with the developers".
“For the past two-and-a-half years they have been hiding behind Covid concerns and failed to come out to see what is being built here," he said.
We wake up to a monstrosity of a mansion. It's ruined our view
"The original drawings were all for low-lying buildings and now we have multi-storey buildings going up - it’s a shambles.
“You wake up every morning and wonder what’s going to confront you when you throw back the curtains."
A spokesman from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said an investigation continues.
"The developers have been made aware that any works undertaken without the necessary planning approval are at their own risk and could be liable to formal enforcement action," he said.
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"The council has been in discussions with the developer’s agents in respect of the unauthorised aspects of the development and retrospective planning applications are currently in the process of being prepared for submission.
"However, there is no guarantee that planning consent will be forthcoming."
