Latest news with #VickyCurtis-Cresswell
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
UK winner of £6m Omaze mansion still doesn't have keys 3 months on
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'. The mansion was the most expensive home ever given as a prize in a UK draw, raising £4million for Comic Relief in the process. 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. '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. 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. 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.
Wales Online
13 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Omaze dream house winner and former Miss Wales finalist still hasn't had keys to £6m property
Omaze dream house winner and former Miss Wales finalist still hasn't had keys to £6m property The property is bogged down in a planning row which might even mean it has to be altered before it can be passed on to Vicky Curtis-Cresswell Omaze Million Pound House Norfolk winner Victoria Curtis-Cresswell with husband Dale (Image: Mark Field Photography / Omaze ) A former Miss Wales finalist who won a £6m Norfolk coastal home is still waiting to receive the keys due to unresolved planning breaches. Vicky Curtis-Cresswell, 38, had never owned her own home and was living with her family until she won the spectacular property. Vicky stated that winning the luxury Blakeney property in an Omaze competition three months ago had "changed her life forever". Before she won the huge prize, she lived with her husband Dale, 41, and their young daughter at her in-law's three-bedroom house in Wales, as the family were in the process of house hunting for a rental property. However, her intention to sell the multi-million pound mansion is currently on hold after an investigation revealed that the Larkfields property was constructed differently from the approved plans. When the win was announced, Vicky said she hoped to sell the mansion to "buy another amazing house somewhere in Wales." The house in Norfolk won by Victoria Curtis-Cresswell in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw (Image: Omaze ) Omaze, a company that purchases luxury properties as competition prizes to raise funds for charity, has pledged to rectify a series of planning breaches and cover any associated costs before transferring ownership. Article continues below However, it may be a while before the 38-year-old from south Wales can fully enjoy her windfall, as Omaze could be embroiled in a protracted planning dispute with North Norfolk District Council. The company is in the process of submitting a retrospective planning application, aiming to secure permission for any construction work that lacked prior approval. Details regarding the issues uncovered during the council's investigation have not yet been publicly disclosed. Love dreamy Welsh homes? Sign up to our newsletter here However, an examination of planning documents and photographs of the property suggests that it has been built larger than permitted. Other potential planning infringements include a tennis court and swimming pool, which seemingly lack the required approvals. A swimming pool at the property Omaze has stated that the planning discrepancies were not disclosed during the evaluations and inspections carried out prior to its purchase. A spokesperson for Omaze said: "Omaze continues to work with North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) in relation to recommendations made regarding the property in Norfolk. "Omaze has submitted a pre-application to the council and is submitting a retrospective planning application. "Omaze will transfer ownership of the property to the winner once all planning matters are resolved." In response, NNDC proposed a list of measures for Omaze to address the issues at hand. A representative for NNDC remarked: "At present we are waiting for an application to be submitted by the owners to try and regularise the current breaches of planning control. "We are expecting an application to be submitted by the end of this month." However, there is no guarantee Omaze will be granted retrospective permission for the breaches. The application could be refused, which might result in the council taking enforcement action against Omaze to force it to make changes. Such a scenario would mirror the case of Arcady – the luxurious Cley residence built by West End producer Adam Speigel, who was ordered to reconstruct his property following a protracted planning row over deviations from the original design. The fiasco has potentially cost him millions of pounds to rectify the issues. Throughout the investigation, Omaze has consistently reassured the public that any prize winner would not be burdened with any potential costs arising from the planning discrepancies. Larkfields, a grand three-bedroom home modelled after the opulent mansions in New York's exclusive Hamptons area, was touted as Omaze's largest ever prize draw. The competition raised millions of pounds for Comic Relief. However, the discovery of planning violations cast a shadow over the high-profile contest, which was organised for Red Nose Day. Omaze initially planned to announce the winner live on BBC One, but this plan was scrapped following the revelations about the planning breaches. Article continues below Founded in the US, the company pledges at least 17% of the funds raised through its prize draws will go to charities.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Omaze house winner overjoyed despite planning issue
A woman said she felt "pure joy" on finding out she had won a £6m house in a charity raffle, allowing her and her family to move out of her in-laws' home. Vicky Curtis-Cresswell from South Wales won the luxury Norfolk property, which is at the centre of a planning dispute. Omaze, which ran the competition in partnership with Comic Relief, previously said it was working with North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) regarding recommendations about the property. The 41-year-old said: "I was absolutely flabbergasted. My sister in-law burst out crying; it was a mixture of shock and pure joy." Ms Curtis-Cresswell, her husband and daughter, had been searching for a rental property while living at her in-laws' three-bedroom house. "In a matter of seconds our lives changed forever and we became multi-millionaires," she said. "My mother-in-law feels like she's won the jackpot as we can now move out! "It's just crazy. One week we're worrying about our old car breaking down, the next thing we've got a £6m house." The former Miss Wales finalist plans to sell the property in Blakeney and buy a house in Wales. "We'll be having a big party in Norfolk before we sell up. We can't wait to invite all our friends and family," she added. The council began investigating the seaside home after an anonymous member of the public raised concerns, saying it had not been built to the approved designs. It is understood that the council had given Omaze a deadline of Wednesday to respond to a list of requirements, and the council confirmed it had received a response. A spokesperson for the council said: "No formal action will be taken whilst the matter is being actively progressed." Omaze previously said: "Omaze reiterates that it guarantees no house winner would ever have to incur any costs whatsoever to remedy any historical planning issue." It said the prize draw had raised £4m for Comic Relief. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Investigation into raffled £6m mansion completed Prize-draw £6m mansion breached planning law Local Democracy Reporting Service North Norfolk District Council
