Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Millionaire in row now using classic Over man cave is cars as weapons
NEIGHBOURS say the millionaire accountant who has run out of legal road to save “Britain’s best man cave” is now using his classic car collection as the latest weapon in his battle to keep his homemade leisure centre.
Thursday was D-Day for Graham Wildin who has been ordered by the courts to pull down the leisure complex at the back of his home in the Forest of Dean or face jail.
But even though he only had until Thursday to comply, the bulldozers have not yet turned up on his Cinderford street.
Residents say Mr Wildin appeared to leave for work at his accountancy business in Lydney as normal.
And they fear they are now on the front line of Mr Wildin’s battle with the authorities because he appears to have moved his classic car collection from a large garage at the side of his property and onto their residential street.
Residents believe he wants them to complain to the Forest of Dean District Council in an attempt to force officials to backtrack on their order to remove the buildings erected in 2014 without planning permission.
Mr Wildin has failed to persuade the planning authorities or the courts that he should be allowed to keep the building and there is no sign of him removing the squash courts, cinema, casino, bar and bowling alley as ordered by the courts.
Neighbours say the classic cars, including Bentleys, parked in Meendhurst Road, are causing them a major headache because they take up too many spaces and make it difficult for them to use their drives.
Several neighbours said they were unhappy about the cars on the street but fear nothing can be done because it is perfectly legal.
Some are uncovered but others are wrapped up with notices attached that give the registration number and a message saying they are taxed, insured and are being monitored by CCTV.
Resident Chris Briginshawe has lived diagonally opposite the accountant for 15 years. He says he deliberately stayed out of the row over the long-running planning saga until a few weeks ago when an elderly neighbour returned from church to find one of Mr Wildin’s cars parked across her driveway.
Mr Briginshawe complained but the car wasn’t removed for days. About a week later his wife woke up to find a classic vehicle had been parked across their driveway in the middle of the night.
“The difference was that while my neighbour’s drive was empty, my wife’s car was on our drive so it
He’s very good at telling people about his rights, but he doesn’t seem to care about ours. He thinks he’s special but I pay my taxes and abide the law so I expect everybody to be treated the same NEIGHBOUR CHRIS BRIGINSHAWE
was illegal and I could call the police,” said Mr Briginshawe, who said his elderly neighbour had been upset and intimidated by the dispute.
“My wife was unable to go to work but when the police called him he said he was too busy to move it. The officer said he would call a tow truck because it was parked illegally. Initially, he said it didn’t matter because he could afford to pay the fee but he turned up about 10 minutes before the recovery vehicle and moved the car a short distance.
“It’s still in the way. My wife can just about manoeuvre in and out the driveway but I can’t get my 4X4 pickup in so I have to park it on the road and take up more space. People are getting very upset about it all.”
Neighbours say they have tried
to talk to Mr Wildin but he simply tells them he is within his rights to park as many vehicles as he likes on the road as long as they are taxed and insured and he plans to leave them there for 10 years.
“I told him he was being unreasonable and anti-social but apparently that’s not a problem because he has lived here longer than anyone else so he can do what he wants,” said Mr Briginshawe.
“He’s very good at telling people about his rights, but he doesn’t seem to care about ours. He thinks he’s special but I pay my taxes and abide the law so I expect everybody to be treated the same.”
Residents said they are also upset about security cameras being trained on the road rather than Mr Wildin’s private property.
Mr Wildin was given several warnings to comply with an enforcement notice requiring the removal of the sports and leisure complex.
They say their only hope is that the authorities will catch up with the millionaire accountant who faces a mammoth £300,000 tax bill after HMRC refused to believe his claim the man cave was for holidaymakers and therefore the work was tax-deductible.
He also faces a jail sentence. In June 2021, he was given a suspended sentence for contempt of court by Judge Milwyn Jarman QC after his appeal was dismissed.
In November Mr Wildin was given until March 10, 2022, to comply with the order to complete the required work. The council was also awarded substantial costs as part of the hearing.
Yesterday there was no sign of that happening but it will be no easy task. Although Mr Wildin’s electronic gates had been left open, building work would make it difficult for the bulldozers to move in without damaging his large house.
But one comment from a disgruntled local summed up the feelings of many when they said: “Hopefully tomorrow will dawn with a wrecking ball approaching. Everyone else has to abide by planning laws.”
We have tried to contact Mr Wildin for comment.