HEAVEN ON EARTH

Poundbury, a town of about 4 600 people in Dorchester, southern England, is Charles’ vision of utopia and his idea of how British towns should look.

There are no visible telephone lines, electric cables or street signs. The rooftops of houses and shops are of varying heights to create visual interest, and there are many curved roads, designed to slow traffic in a town where walking is prioritised.

The town, which was planned by Luxembourgish architect Léon Krier, also features public housing integrated with private homes. The houses are all neo-Georgian, Victorian and castle-style – nothing contemporary.

There are strict rules for residents, who must sign a contract in which they agree to use only approved paint colours and regulation window frames, and to abide by the rules on potted plants, which dictate how many pots residents are allowed to have.

The town was Charles’ project, says Fran Leaper, editor of Poundbury Magazine. “He always says, ‘It’s my Poundbury’’.”

The king has overseen and approved every design aspect, right down to the door fittings.

Residents are also not allowed to install satellite dishes or park boats or caravans outside their homes.

The town has its critics and people like

The Guardian’s Oliver Wainwright have called Poundbury a “feudal Disneyland” and described it as “all show and no depth”.

Still, Poundbury, which was founded in 1987 and is still being developed, is a popular place to live.

According to reports, residents are prepared to pay up to 30% more to live in Poundbury than in nearby towns.

British architect Quinlan Terry, who designed many of the buildings surrounding Queen Mother Square in Poundbury, says the town is a success.

Classical buildings were “easier on the eye” and preferable to brutal, modern architecture, he told The New York Times, adding that developers around the UK were adopting a similar style. “The public is asking, ‘Why can’t I live in something like that?’ ”

The success of Poundbury led to the creation of two similar developments: Tregunnel Hill in Newquay and nearby Nansledan, both in in Cornwall.

Charles is delighted by what he sees as the success of Poundbury. “All these issues around the environment and wellbeing and everything else – all these things I’ve been trying to indicate and demonstrate through my foundation for the last 30 years. Now, more and more landowners are beginning to recognise the value of this approach of mixed-use, mixed-income development,” he told GQ.