Demolition of millionaire's man cave begins

The council said it would try to keep disruption to a minimum for neighbours

Demolition work has started on a building known as Britain's biggest man cave, 10 years on from when it was constructed without planning permission by a millionaire.

Forest of Dean District Council said work began on Friday to remove the 10,000 sq ft leisure complex built by Graham Wildin in 2014 on Meendhurst Road in Cinderford.

The building, which housed a bowling alley, casino and cinema, had been the subject of a lengthy legal battle in which Mr Wildin received multiple court orders to demolish the building and served time in prison for refusing to remove it.

The council said the building would be demolished over the next eight weeks and it would be looking to "recover the full cost... from the landowner in due course".

A spokesperson said: “It is important to note that the cost of this process should not be borne by the taxpayer.

“Hundreds of people every year follow the correct process for planning applications and development, sadly this has not been the case at this location."

The demolition marks a major milestone in years of legal action

Mr Wildin first took steps to construct the leisure centre in November 2013, in the back garden of one of two adjacent houses he owned on Meendhurst Road.

This prompted a member of the public to submit a complaint to the council.

The council said shortly after construction had begun, various council officers advised Mr Wildin that the proposed building was not "permitted development".

They said he had been told the building required planning permission but the work continued, despite Mr Wildin being informed of the risks.

Following a series of warnings, the council obtained an injunction against Mr Wildin in November 2018. He was given until 25 April 2020 to demolish the building.

In legal proceedings brought by the council in June 2021, Mr Wildin was found in contempt of court for non-compliance with the injunction.

The judge sentenced him to six weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, on the condition that the building be permanently stripped and decommissioned within 18 weeks.

Mr Wildin still did not comply with the injunction and was ultimately sentenced to six weeks in prison in August 2022.

The most recent deadline for Mr Wildin to comply expired in January 2023 and the council said it had now progressed to the next stage of enforcement action, which began on Friday.

The council said it would try to keep disruption to a minimum for neighbours.

"We would like to also take this opportunity to thank the people living in close proximity to this property for their patience during this lengthy legal process."

A spokesperson for Mr Wildin said he was “not interested in commenting”.