Latest news with #Beaminster
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Fire-hit Parnham estate's homes plan draws mixed reaction
A planned development of 85 new homes on a fire-hit estate has drawn a mixed reaction following a public I listed Parnham House, near Beaminster, Dorset, was gutted in a suspected arson attack in rave promoter James Perkins, who bought the property in 2020, previously said the housing would pay for restoration residents said Tuesday's public presentation did not answer their questions over the housing plan, although the estate said it was preparing an "incredibly detailed" planning application. The fire broke out at Parnham in the early hours of 15 April 2017 and took four days to fully owner Michael Treichl was arrested on suspicion of arson and was found dead two months later. On Facebook, residents who visited the public event described the housing design as being "a bit like Poundbury" and having "varied doll's house fronts".One said: "I can't see long-term how any of this benefits Beaminster."The doctors are already struggling. The sewage system is already having to be pumped out regularly and taken away by tankers."Will there be affordable housing and social housing?"Another wrote: "I understand the local concern but if they have a desire to bring the house back in to some functional use, then they have to do something."I have no problem with the development, as long as they provide the utilities to service this." The estate's senior project manager Ed Grant said Parnham had "agreement in principle" for development from Historic England and Dorset told BBC Radio Solent: "We're coming up with a viable solution, which has taken an awful lot of work, of how to save the building."Mr Grant said the scheme would use a new rising water main and would include new sewage treatment said it was classed as an "enabling development" - one that would not normally be allowed but for the conservation benefit to Parnham Perkins, 56, who co-founded the Fantazia events brand, has already won permission for parties and weddings, a restaurant and holiday chalets on the 131-acre May, an auction of his collected fossils and artworks raised £2.2m, according to Dreweatts auctioneers. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Housing plan to raise money for fire-hit Parnham House
A development of 85 new homes is needed to pay for the restoration of a fire-damaged stately home, its owner has I listed Parnham House, near Beaminster, Dorset, was gutted in a suspected arson attack in rave promoter James Perkins bought the property in 2020 and has been negotiating with Historic England over development of the latest scheme will be revealed at a public meeting on Tuesday, ahead of a planning application, according to a Facebook post. The message, on the Beaminster Information Centre page, said: "The current plan for an enabling development of 85 homes is about to be submitted to Dorset Council."The income from this is entirely used in the restoration of the building."An enabling development is one that would not normally be allowed, except for the fact that it would secure the future conservation of a heritage asset, according to Historic a statement, the group said: "We've had early discussions with the owner on potential development in the surrounds of the house but have not seen the latest plans. "We understand that some form of development will be needed to help pay for the house's restoration, and our aim is to ensure that any development preserves the beautiful setting of the Grade I listed building as far as possible." The fire broke out at Parnham in the early hours of 15 April 2017 and took four days to fully owner Michael Treichl was arrested on suspicion of arson and was found dead two months Perkins, 56, who co-founded the Fantazia events brand, has already won permission for parties and weddings, a restaurant and holiday chalets on the 131-acre May, an auction of his collected fossils and artworks raised £2.2m, according to Dreweatts housing plans will be shown at Beaminster Public Hall on 29 July from 14:00 - 19:00 BST. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Backlash over ‘Rave King's' plan to save fire-ravaged stately home
When it came to restoring Parnham House, the music entrepreneur James Perkins once declared he 'never bothered about budgets'. The 16th-century stately home, which the promoter describes as the 'Buckingham Palace of Dorset', is being brought back to life after a fire largely destroyed it eight years ago. But with scaffolding bills of £1.7 million, the snooker room roof falling in and the walls close to crumbling away, the occasional wedding in the manor's restored suites is not paying the builder's fees. Instead, Perkins intends to fund the renovations with the construction of 85 homes on 25 acres of the estate's fields, if Dorset council approves his planning application. If he is successful, Grade 1-listed Parnham House — which Perkins bought for £2.5 million in 2020 — could host weddings, parties and overnight guests in sixty bedrooms. The likes of Noel Gallagher, Kate Moss, Madonna and Bono have attended lavish gatherings at Perkins's former property, Aynhoe Park, a Jacobean stately home on the Northamptonshire-Oxfordshire border. The parties at Aynhoe helped cement his nickname of 'rave king'. But residents of nearby Beaminster, who were already up in arms when the council granted the venue a 24-hour alcohol licence, have formed a group to frustrate the application. One said the houses would drive 'coach and horses' through local wildlife, 'destroy the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and remove centuries-old footpaths. The successful alcohol application faced so many objections that the council meeting ran for two days. The local Conservative MP said it was not appropriate for the estate. Residents say a site plan drawn up four years ago outlining twenty houses has ballooned into proposals for dozens of dwellings across the green space. At risk is a meadow area where kingfishers dart and otters roam. One resident said that were the application granted, Perkins stood to benefit from a large capital increase on his private property while the council and villagers lost out. Perkins, 56, hopes that the council will grant him permission to build under 'enabled development' laws, where permission is granted if the project generates funds that outweigh the harm caused by the development. He is confident that he has won over Historic England, which initially stated it could not support the application but is now due to advise the council committee. The application alone has cost about £1.5 million to submit. The development could mean a new chapter for a house. In 2017, two months after the fire, its owner Michael Treichl, an Austrian hedge fund tycoon, took his own life 'having suffered severe depression'. Treichl's wife said he had admitted starting the fire, but he publicly denied the allegation and insisted that he was at Claridges in London when the blaze broke out. Perkins was 15 when he began staging parties in his home town of Cheltenham and went on to establish the rave music promoter Fantazia. In 1992, aged 22, he attracted 28,000 people to a rave in Castle Donington. Parnham House has been a private home, nursing home, country club and woodwork school. Parts of it date back to the mid-1500s, when it was owned by the Strode family, who lived in the property for more than 200 years. During the Second World War, it was requisitioned by the US Army to be the headquarters for General Patton before the D-Day landings. A spokesman for Parnham House said: 'Through intensive planning and design work involving many consultants, including extensive talks with Dorset council, Historic England, and their subsidiaries, it was acknowledged that Enabling Development is the only solution to save this nationally important Grade 1-listed treasure. 'The enabling development application will raise the equity needed to save and restore the building to the minimum required factor and once again make Parnham something our neighbours and Dorset can be proud of.' The spokesman said that this would 'increase the biodiversity of the estate, restore forgotten nature highways along the River Brit, and reopen the original drive and entrance'. 'The development will provide much needed housing, employment, tourism and huge economic benefit to our immediate area and Dorset as a whole.' Perkins was approached for comment.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mapperton Estate offering free activities for children this summer
The Mapperton Estate is offering free activities for children this summer. The estate, located near Beaminster, will host themed activities every week for six weeks. Children can participate in activities such as woodland trails, storytelling, sketching wildlife, scavenger hunts, and historical explorations. The activities will run from Sunday, July 27 to Thursday, September 4. The fun kicks off with Art Week (Sunday, July 27 - Thursday, July 31), where children can sketch flowers, creatures and hidden corners of the estate's grounds. They can also contribute to the Summer Bunting Gallery for a chance to win a family season pass, chosen by the Earl and Countess of Sandwich. READ: Jane Austen-themed activities at Dorset Museum this summer Scavenger Week (Sunday, August 3 - Thursday, August 7) will have young explorers collecting natural treasures to build twig people or fairy homes. Mystery Week (Sunday, August 10 - Thursday, August 14) will turn children into detectives, solving clues to find out who stole Percy the tortoise. There are ten animal suspects hidden around the grounds of the Coach House café, and the first to solve the mystery will receive a prize. Nature Bingo Week (Sunday, August 17 - Thursday, August 21) will include a wildlife adventure. Children can collect sightings of bees, butterflies, and birds on a bingo card to earn a Mapperton Wildlings sticker. There will also be themed games back at the Coach House. READ: 'Mini Glastonbury' to return to Dorset this summer Story Week (Sunday, August 24 - Thursday, August 28) will feature storytelling sessions with local children's author and illustrator Lynda Stewart, followed by an opportunity for children to write or draw Mapperton-inspired tales. Finally, History Week (Sunday, August 31 - Thursday, September 4) will invite young time-travellers to discover Mapperton's past through postcards from the 4th Earl of Sandwich. They will complete fun challenges and post a message back through time in the Mapperton Time Box. Julie Montagu, Countess of Sandwich, said: "Mapperton is full of stories and nature to discover, and we are delighted to offer a creative and fun summer adventure for children and their families to enjoy." The Coach House Café will be open for refreshments during the activities. READ: Creative activities for children across Dorset this summer Children under the age of 16 can enter Mapperton House, Gardens & Wildlands free with any adult entry ticket or membership. No booking is required. Families visiting for any three out of the six summer weeks will receive a free visit to see Father Christmas at Mapperton this winter. For more information, visit the Mapperton website.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dorset named one of the UK's most 'supernaturally active' areas
Strange lights, UFOs and mysterious figures are among hundreds of unexplained sightings reported across Dorset. The county has been named the third most "supernaturally active" area in the UK, with 62.6 unexplained events recorded per 50,000 people, according to new research by Spin Genie UK. The study mapped UFO hotspots, crop circles and paranormal activity across the country to identify areas with the highest concentration of unexplained phenomena. In total, more than 480 otherworldly incidents have been reported in Dorset, including UFO sightings, ghostly encounters, and crop circles. A witness in Dorchester described seeing "strange blue lights and red lights flying in the sky" in July last year. Paranormal activity has been documented across Dorset for generations, with 446 sightings recorded across the county. One report from Beaminster detailed a farmer encountering a woman in a white dress with "bright pink eyes." In another case, two train drivers claimed to have struck a shadowy figure while passing through the Bincombe railway tunnel. A police investigation found no evidence of an accident. Dorset was only surpassed by Argyll and Bute in Scotland and Wiltshire in the rankings. READ: Two UFO sightings reported in Dorset last year Chart of top 10 supernatural counties in the UK. (Image: SpinGenie) Argyll and Bute topped the list with 77.9 supernatural sightings per 50,000 people, including more than 130 reports of ghosts, UFOs, and other unexplained events. One witness in Rothesay in 2021 described seeing a "small light with a halo… moving at speed high in the sky." Wiltshire ranked second with 77 sightings per 50,000 people and 25 UFO reports across the county. A witness described seeing a "small silver ball moving very fast… about the size of a tennis ball" on a summer evening in 2023. Wiltshire also holds the record for the most crop circles in the UK, with 384 documented cases. It is also home to a dedicated visitor and exhibition centre for those interested in the phenomenon. Spin Genie UK compiled the findings as part of a project to "uncover the truth behind the UK's most mysterious phenomena." The research highlights the enduring public fascination with unexplained events and the UK's long history of paranormal and extraterrestrial sightings.
