DIY enthusiast whose £10k caravan renovation project caught the eye of George Clarke's Amazing Spaces faces demolition order after it became too big to move

Daily Mail​

04-05-2025

An avid DIY enthusiast who converted a caravan into a two-storey home may have to have it demolished after he was ordered to remove it – and realised it was too big to shift.
David Coe spent a year and £10,000 modifying the humble accommodation with extensions including a staircase to a first floor bedroom and even a log burner.
He claims to have had interest from Channel 4 's George Clarke's Amazing Spaces, which explores unusual small-scale residential building projects.
But the labour of love, which is sitting in a parking bay, is due to be razed to the ground after he was given 28 days to get rid of the 'health and safety' hazard which is now too heavy to tow away.
'It's upsetting to see it sitting there but I can't afford to move it. There's nothing I can do,' said Mr Coe, who had hoped to transport it to the seaside one day where he would be able to enjoy spectacular views.
The 67-year-old bought the 14ft caravan in 2022 and parked it outside his housing association flat in Norwich, Norfolk.
He said he had 'always been very creative' and had previously renovated a hotel, while the work on the caravan distracted him from severe health issues that meant he was on disability benefits.
As the structure grew, he added storage and seating areas downstairs, new windows and a skylight, as well as a garden and seating area outside.
The burgeoning tourist attraction saw 'hundreds' of people stopping to ask about it.
'I just needed to get out of the flat and make contact with other people,' said Mr Coe.
'It was meant to be a place to sit and have a cup of tea and chat with passers-by. But it became something to focus on and I started working on it every single day.
'It became more than a hobby for me. It wasn't a conscious decision but the caravan grew and grew. It cost me a fortune but I didn't mind. I became known locally as the caravan man.
'I met hundreds of people who wanted to see what I was doing and take selfies with me. It was a lovely distraction from everything else.'
Problems began after an unrelated legal battle with Anchor, the housing association in charge of his accommodation block, leading to him being evicted last year.
Mr Coe, who previously worked in catering, had protested about the cleanliness and management of the property and was accused of 'inappropriate behaviour' towards staff by the company – which he denies.
The eviction meant he had to abandon the caravan and prevented further work to reinforce the roof and extensions.
The spacious former caravan was an ongoing project until Mr Coe lost his social housing flat in an unrelated dispute. He now struggles to get there to maintain it and improve safety
Mr Coe still lives in the area, however, and paid the £25 monthly fee for the parking space and visited the caravan regularly to make sure it was secure and not presenting a risk to people.
But he has now received the removal notice from National Parking Enforcement Ltd, which said the caravan 'has been indicated and notified to us as being abandoned and/or… not authorised to park in this area and will be removed within 28 days of this notice being issued' before being 'destroyed'.
'Heartbroken' Mr Coe added: 'I have done everything I can with limited funds to make sure the caravan is kept tidy.
'I even went without food some months to pay for the space.'
A spokesman for NPE said the landowner had requested the caravan be removed as it was a health and safety hazard.
Anchor were contacted for a comment.
Mr Coe previously appeared in the news when he suffered a cardiac arrest while walking home from a job centre in 2018.
He was dubbed the 'real-life Daniel Blake' after the award-winning Ken Loach drama, where a joiner is deemed fit to work by the authorities despite suffering a heart attack.