UK winner of £6m Omaze mansion still doesn't have keys 3 months on

Daily Mirror

14 hours ago

Former Miss Wales finalist Vicky Curtis-Cresswell, 38, was over the moon when she won the luxurious home in Norfolk in February, but behind the facade the house had some problems
The winner of a £6million Omaze house is still waiting to receive the keys to her mansion nearly three months after winning the draw.
Former Miss Wales finalist Vicky Curtis-Cresswell, 38, described her delight when she learned that she had won the luxurious Larkfields home in Norfolk in February, saying it felt like 'an enormous weight had been lifted'.
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The mansion was the most expensive home ever given as a prize in a UK draw, raising £4million for Comic Relief in the process.
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However, underneath the perfect facade the home has some serious problems. The tennis court and swimming pool, talked-up in Omaze's marketing to promote the draw, reportedly do not have planning permission.
The mansion, modelled on the luxurious seaside villas in the Hamptons in Long Island, was also built larger than was permitted.
An investigation is underway, with North Norfolk District Council announcing in March it would look into the property after a member of the public complained it had not been built to the submitted blueprints, the BBC reported.
Omaze has said it is filing a retrospective planning application. The company said they had not found the planning issues when carrying out checks and surveys before it was bought.
The Mirror has asked the company for a comment. A spokesperson previously told the Mail: 'Omaze continues to work with North Norfolk District Council in relation to recommendations made regarding the property in Norfolk.
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'Omaze has submitted a pre-application to the council and is submitting a retrospective planning application.'
The company reiterated its guarantee that no house winner would ever have to incur any costs whatsoever to remedy any historical planning issue. It added that all house prizes are transferred to winners with good and marketable title.
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The spokesperson added: ''Omaze will transfer ownership of the property to the winner once all planning matters are resolved.'
If the council officers decide to refuse the retrospective planning permission then the local authority could order the company to make changes to the house so it is in line with the original plans.
Ms Curtis-Cresswell, who never owned her own home before winning the prize after buying a ticket for £10, has said she wants to sell it and buy a property in her native Wales.
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She currently lives with her husband, Dale, 41, and young daughter at her in-laws' three-bedroom house in Wales. The family were looking for a place to rent when their big win happened.
'I was absolutely flabbergasted, my sister-in-law burst out crying. It was a mixture of pure shock and joy,' Ms Curtis-Cresswell told reporters back in March.
'Like a lot of people, it's fair to say times can be tough. We both work so hard but things can still feel stretched some months. Winning this house feels like an enormous weight has been lifted.'
The 5,000sq ft mansion came with a summer house, all-weather AstroTurf tennis court, £165,000 worth of furnishings and £250,000 cash.
North Norfolk District Council said they were waiting for an application to be submitted by the owners to try and 'regularise the current breaches of planning control'. They said they expected the application to be submitted by the end of the month.
The Mirror has approached the council for a comment.