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Billionaire tycoon shelves bid for Beaulieu mansion caretaker cottage




An artists's impression of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's approved mansion plan at Thorns Beach, Beaulieu
An artists's impression of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's approved mansion plan at Thorns Beach, Beaulieu

MULTI-BILLIONAIRE Sir Jim Ratcliffe has withdrawn his bid to build a caretaker’s cottage close to his controversial seafront mansion.

Sir Jim – who founded and is the chairman of petrochemical giant Ineos – sought permission from the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) to replace the current Garden Cottage at Thorns Beach, Beaulieu, and a glasshouse with a new cottage and ancillary outbuildings.

But documents on the NPA’s website show the proposal was withdrawn following objections lodged by the Environment Agency (EA) and Beaulieu Parish Council.

The EA had expressed health and safety concerns related to flooding. However, it has indicated it would reconsider the application if flood defences were erected and a risk assessment carried out.

In a comment, the EA said the development could not go ahead until “a scheme to ensure improvement, protection and maintenance of the new flood defences has been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the local planning authority”.

Planning documents submitted by Sir Jim’s planning agent PWP Architects had argued the current cottage was “no longer adequate for modern day living”.

It said the replacement would host a site “guardian” who would oversee the nearby main house and associated land.

The cottage bid followed the tycoon’s six-year planning battle with the NPA for permission to demolish the existing main property there to build the mansion.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was ranked as Britain's third richest man with a fortune of £18bn by the Sunday Times
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was ranked as Britain's third richest man with a fortune of £18bn by the Sunday Times

Sir Jim (66), who is estimated to be worth £18.2bn and was ranked earlier this year as Britain’s third wealthiest man by the Sunday Times, had four plans knocked back by the NPA before eventually securing permission.

The mansion, which will be located on the Solent foreshore close to Beaulieu River, is currently under construction.

Sir Jim’s main residence is in the Monaco principality, a tax haven, and it is thought the New Forest home would be a UK base for him to live in part of the year.

But in a further application to the NPA, he also wants to make slight amendments to the main house plan that was finally approved.

He is seeking permission to change the height of the chimneys and make the garage wider and “general design changes” to external and internal aspects of the proposed property.

In addition to his roles as CEO and chairman of Ineos – in which he has a 60% stake – Sir Jim has other business interests, such as ownership of the Lime Wood hotel near Lyndhurst.

He has also recently used his wealth to get involved in endeavours he is passionate about; the keen cyclist took over the Team Sky cycling team and turned it into Team Ineos, and is bankrolling sailor Sir Ben Ainslie’s campaign to win the 2021 America’s Cup.



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