A wealthy individual who unsuccessfully fought for ten years to maintain Britain’s largest private recreational space is now entangled in a new conflict with neighbors. He alleges that they have been harassing him with fake phone calls late at night.
Graham Wildin, aged 73, invested over a decade contesting to keep his unauthorized 10,000sq/ft entertainment complex, even facing imprisonment due to it. The controversy began in 2014 when he constructed the leisure facility, known as the ‘man cave,’ which included a bowling alley, casino, and cinema at the rear of his property without obtaining planning consent.
Last year, Forest of Dean District Council commenced the demolition of the structure, resulting in aerial photos depicting its current appearance resembling a ‘concrete parking lot.’ The facility, previously located in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, once featured lavish amenities such as squash courts, a soft play area, and a bowling alley.
While local residents expressed delight at the removal of the complex, tensions have surfaced in recent planning documents. In an application seeking approval for a noise management strategy at Wildin’s newly operated Airbnb on the premises, his representatives opted not to disclose a personal phone number for neighbors to report disturbances.
Instead, they stated, “Local residents are already informed of the owners’ workplace, Wildin & Co. The relevant contact telephone number and email address are provided within the Noise Management Plan.”
“The email address is accessible on mobile devices for all owners, including weekends. Due to past incidents of prank calls at unreasonable times, believed to originate from certain neighbors and not pursued by the police, the owners are unwilling to share personal mobile numbers with neighbors.”
The noise management plan was sanctioned last month, meeting a prerequisite for converting the site into a vacation rental. Wildin’s representatives added, “A noise monitoring system has been installed at the property, alerting owners immediately if noise levels exceed agreed limits. They believe this, combined with providing a work contact number and email, offers a suitable approach to manage and address noise-related concerns.”
Guests are bound by regulations prohibiting the use of the outdoor hot tub and excessive noise between 11pm and 7am. Locals noted improvements since the man cave’s removal, with one stating, “It’s now very peaceful. Graham has his moments but mostly keeps to himself – there’s no disturbance from the holiday home. The main issue was when there were many vehicles on the road.”
Ongoing construction work on the road adjacent to the former man cave was observed, with residents expressing satisfaction at its dismantling. One neighbor remarked, “It was long overdue, and I believe everyone in the area is relieved it’s gone.”
Another neighbor commented, “I’m unaware of any prank calls to him, but that likely reflects the level of discontent he caused here. He thought he could solve it by throwing money at the problem, but now there’s nothing left – so what did he truly achieve?”
Wildin declined to comment on the prank calls, following the conclusive demolition that concluded a prolonged battle to preserve the structure. The Forest of Dean District Council had previously indicated intentions to seek expenses from Wildin.
Wildin initially commenced constructing the leisure complex in the backyard of one of his adjacent properties on Meendhurst Road in November 2013, prompting a public complaint to the council. Despite several warnings from council officers that the structure required full planning permission, Wildin continued with the project. In June 2022, legal action initiated by the council found Wildin in contempt of court, resulting in a suspended custodial sentence and a deadline for dismantling the facility.
Despite appeals, Wildin failed to comply with the court order, leading to a prison sentence in August 2022. His subsequent appeal against the sentence was dismissed, with the most recent compliance deadline passing in early January 2023.
