THE UK’s biggest man cave has finally been torn down after its millionaire owner was jailed in the long-running row over the “eyesore”.
The vast concrete complex is at the centre of a decade-long neighbour war, which now appears to have ended in a decisive loss for its occupant.
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Graham Wildin, 72, built the huge property in Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, back in 2014.
The building covers thousands of square feet and boasts its own private cinema, casino room, bowling alley and even squash courts.
But Mr Wildin faced fierce pushback from nearby residents, sparking a furious planning debate.
The millionaire was even handed a six-week sentence in August 2022 when he failed to comply with a court order in relation to planning permissions.
However, relations have deteriorated even further since, especially after Mr Wildin filled the streets with his collection of classic cars.
This included a bright yellow Jensen-Healery sportster, a Range Rover and a plush Bentley Turbo.
He even put up CCTV cameras to watch over the vehicles and slapped other drivers with unofficial parking fines for blocking his driveway.
The parking dispute made it to court late last year, with judges granting an injunction limiting the number of vehicles he could park on the street.
Mr Wildin appealed the order but was told he could only park two cars (plus two for visitors) on the road for a maximum of eight hours at a time.
He was also ordered to take down the CCTV infrastructure, including the poles the cameras were sitting on.
This was done back in June, but the council has now taken the decision to enforce previous demolition orders for the whole site.
Mr Wildin was originally told to take the property down by April 2020, but ignored this injunction repeatedly, which resulted in his prison spell.
The final deadline actually expired in January 2023 and demolition crews began work in May this year.
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Photos from the site now show the entire building has been removed, with only some of the outer structural walls left in place.
Local residents have reacted with joy to the development, with one saying: “It’s about time.
“We get a full view of it from here.
“Absolutely, I’m happy to see it go.”
Timeline of the man cave row:
Wildin had the huge building – housing a cinema, tenpin bowling alley and casino, erected at his home in 2014 without planning permission.
Following a series of warnings, in November 2018 the Council obtained an injunction against Wildin, and he was given until 25 April 2020 to demolish the leisure building.
In legal proceedings brought by Forest of Dean District Council in June 2022, 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.
Wildin subsequently appealed the decision.
The appeal was dismissed, and he was given until 10 March 2022 to comply with the Order to complete the required work, if he was to avoid prison.
Again, he did not comply with the injunction and was sentenced to six-weeks imprisonment in August 2022.
Last year, long-suffering neighbours of Wildin won a court battle over the parking problems he caused in the street by filling it with his collection of eleven classic cars and two vans.
His cars include a yellow convertible Jensen-Healey sports car, a grey Bentley Turbo R, a burgundy Austin 1100, a Range Rover and a Vauxhall Viscount.
Wildin’s frustrated neighbours complained to Gloucestershire Police that his behaviour in monopolising the on-street parking was anti-social.
Their complaints led to a panel being assembled by ‘Solace’ – a partnership between Gloucestershire police and the county’s district and city councils to prevent, investigate and tackle anti-social behaviour.
Solace obtained an interim injunction last September limiting the number of vehicles Wildin could park on the road.
Wildin immediately issued an appeal against the injunction.
Gloucester County Court heard that Wildin had erected numerous CCTV cameras to watch over the vehicles – and had even placed parking fine notices on a number of neighbours’ vehicles blocking his driveway.
The court ruled in favour of the neighbours and ordered Wildin to park only two cars on the road, plus provision for two visitors, who can only stay for a maximum of eight hours.
The judge also ordered that Wildin cannot keep the CCTV surveillance cameras on the exterior of any vehicle nor on any extendable pole.
A spokesperson for Forest of Dean District Council confirmed that they would now be seeking to recover the costs from Mr Wildin.
They said: “The demolition of the building built without planning permission at Meendhurst Road in Cinderford has now been completed, and the demolition and removal team have now left the site.
“It is important to note that the cost of this process should not be borne by the taxpayer, and we are now working to recover the full cost of the demolition from the landowner.
“We would once again like to thank local residents for their patience and understanding during this process.”
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