'Curse of Grand Designs' strikes Flamborough coastguard station plan

Wetherby businessman Zahid Iqbal got permission in 2018 for "alterations and extensions" to turn the station into a stunning holiday home.

The transformation of the property - which sits between the old and new (1806) lighthouses - is being filmed by the hugely popular Channel 4 TV series Grand Designs, presented by Kevin McCloud since 1999.

Planners at East Riding Council say Mr Iqbal has to reapply after taking down the building "in its entirety" earlier this year.

The property is at the end of a row of terraced cottages built in 1940 to accommodate Coastguard personnel, but much altered in the late 20th century to create a building on four levels.

It had a main lookout on the second floor and above it an open roof terrace with views over a golf course, to the white cliffs of Flamborough and the North Sea beyond..

In a report to a planning committee meeting on June 29, the council's conservation officer said it was "disappointing that all that would have remained of the existing coastguard station has been demolished, rather than being retained and converted".

The report states: "This application seeks permission to rectify the current breach of planning control and seeks permission for the erection of a new dwelling on the site."

Mr Iqbal, who bought the building at auction for £170,000, said there was no difference between the set of plans which had been approved in 2018 and the latest plans going to committee.

He said: "If you look at the current plans and those that were passed they are identical. There is not one millimetre difference.

"As far as we are concerned we are doing exactly what we said. It was obvious we were taking down three sides and only the party wall would be staying up.

"It is purely semantics. It was a genuine mistake on everybody's part.

"What it says in planning is a renovation - building control says this is a new building.

"The (original) plans showed it was 80 per cent taken down - there was only the party wall.

"Luckily it didn't get ugly because everybody realised it was an error and nothing had been done intentionally."

He added: "Grand Designs is filming it - I said: 'It's your curse - something always goes wrong'.

"Kevin (McCloud) is a lovely guy. We have only had him up the once and he really loved the setting, he loved the building and said this is going to be something amazing."

The proposal is to replace the coastguard station with an ultra modern three-storey building, with extensive glass to the south and east sides to take advantage of the views to the sea.

The plans are being recommended for approval by officers, who say the new dwelling “would visually appear the same as the approved conversion”. There have been no objections.

If permission is granted and they get started in July, it should take another eight months to complete - unless there are any more hiccups.