Petty row sees millionaire neighbours trying to build the tallest home on street

A petty planning row over who has the biggest house in a millionaire’s row has broken out in a seaside town.

John Yeoman, 70, and his wife Deborah say they have been victims of a ‘poison pen’ campaign over their plans to build a five storey home next to Poole Harbour, Dorset.

It will be a few inches taller than the next door property, which was built by Jeremy Gardner two years ago.

Now the couple have accused Jeremy of trying to torpedo their plans by ‘orchestrating an unashamed campaign of misformation’ against them.

The saga started after the Yeomans bought 54 Elms Avenue, that overlooks the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula, in 2001 for £1.7m.

The couple demolished the traditional detached house and replaced it with a luxurious three storey home that is today worth £8.8m.

In 2015, company director Jeremy Gardner bought 56 Elms Avenue, a modest detached house, for £2.8m.

He secured planning permission to demolish it and build an ultra modern four strorey mansion in its place.

The move infuriated the Yeomans who unsuccessfully objected to the scheme, saying the new home would dwarf theirs and ‘ruin the skyline of Elms Avenue.’

Now Mr Yeoman, a company director and property investor, hopes to ‘reassert the hierarchy of built form within Elms Avenue’ by bulldozing his 20-year-old home and replacing it with a five storey property.

The five bedroom mansion will be just a few inches taller than Mr Gardner’s home.

The Yeomans initially hoped to go even higher with a six storey house but those plans were refused last year.

Giles Moir, of planning agents Chapman Lily who are representing the Yoemans, claimed letters of objection from local residents were the ‘direct result of an orchestrated campaign from the residents of 56 Elms Avenue,’ where Jeremy lives.

He added that ‘misinformation’ about what was planned had been provided to local residents in the form of a leaflet or flyer.

He stated at the time: ‘The flyer produced by the residents of 56 Elms Avenue is an unashamed attempt to provoke objections to the proposal.

‘It is clear from the objections, which all follow a series of common themes, that the letters have been submitted in response to the lobbying campaign undertaken by 56 Elms Avenue.’

Mr and Mrs Yeoman have since taken one level off their planned development that will be five storey flat roofed house built.

The lower ground floor will have an indoor swimming pool complex with sauna, steam room, spa, changing facilities and a garage for a classic car collection.

Mr Moir said the planned property will be a similar height to Mr Gardner’s house.

When reviewing the application for a six storey house a planning officer for BCP Council said: ’54 Elms Avenue currently appears subordinate in height and massing in comparison with its neighbours.’

Locals fear that because Mr Yoeman wants 17 car parking spaces he will ultimately turn the development into a block of flats.

Mr Gardner, a member of the nearby Salterns Marina Yacht Club, said: ‘The proposed development is absolutely huge, a five-storey block of more than 17,000 sq ft with 17 car parking bays.

‘That is 16 times the size of an average UK home and considerably higher and larger than any of the other two, three and four-storey waterfront houses along Elms Avenue.

‘Whilst most residents would have no objections to a replacement family home of similar proportions to the other waterfront properties, the sheer size of the proposed block is completely at odds with the other properties.’