THE decade-long planning wrangle which has led to demolition work on “Britain’s biggest man cave” has cost more than £78,000 in legal fees.

Forest of Dean District Council secured the 10,000 sqft leisure complex built by Graham Wildin in Meendhurst Road, Cinderford last Friday (May 31).

Demolition work has begun on Britain's biggest man cave, 10 years on from when it was constructed without planning permission by Graham Wildin. Cinderford, Gloucestershire. June 04 2024. The UK's “biggest man cave” is finally being torn down after a long running battle over the "eyesore" built more than ten years ago. Millionaire Graham Wildin, 70, has continuously defied court orders to knock down his illegal 10,000sq/ft leisure complex - and has even served jail time over it. The row has been ongoing since 2014 when he built the man cave with a bowling alley, casino and a cinema at the back of his home - without planning permission. Wildin, of Cinderford, Glos, was even locked up for failing to comply with a court order to decommission the building and has lost a string of other court cases.
Demolition work (Tom Wren / SWNS)

The building, which has a bowling alley, casino and a cinema at the back of his home, was built without planning permission in 2014, and Mr Wildin later spent time in prison after failing to heed court orders to knock it down.

Now that the council has secured the site, which has been dubbed ‘the UK’s biggest man cave’, they plan to demolish it over the next eight weeks.

FILE PICTURE - Graham Wildin inside the leisure centre he has built for himself and his family in his back garden. Neighbours of a millionaire who illegally built 'Britain's best man cave' are furious - claiming a massive indoor swimming pool has now been built in the family's garden. See SWNS story SWBRpool. New aerial photos above Graham Wildin's home show a new building - which locals say started appearing late last year. Accountant Wildin, 69, has already been ordered to tear down his extensive 'man cave' by a council - but still refuses to do so. Documents show he has transferred the ownership of two adjacent properties to a company run by his kids. And now in the back garden of one of them a large building has appeared - which locals say is an indoor pool. There appears to be inflatable toys piled on the decking outside. Drone images show the new building stands alongside the controversial illegal complex that includes a cinema, squash court and bowling alley. It is unclear whether he needed planning permission for the latest expansion as some pools are deemed 'permitted developments' depending on the scale. However, no applications appear to have been submitted by Forest Dean Council in relation to it. A council spokesperson said they couldn't comment due to the ongoing legal proceedings.
Graham Wildin in the man cave (SWNS)

The council says they cannot currently disclose how much the demolition will cost (figures of up to £750,000 have been reported in the past) , but their intention is to recover the costs from the landowner.

They will also look to recover costs by selling anything of value that they get from the building.

So far, Mr Wildin still owes the local authority £48,000 in legal costs, according to the council, which has awarded the around £78,000 in legal costs by the courts.

Graham Wildin inside the leisure centre he has built for himself and his family in his back garden (file pic) See SWNS story SWBRcave; A man ordered to knock down 'Britain's best man cave' which he built illegally in his back garden has been told to pay £30,000 to the council to cover its prosecution costs. Graham Wildin, 66, spent four years battling with authorities over the private leisure complex. It contains a bowling alley, cinema, casino and a gym - and pictures from Google Earth show it looking like a massive factory. But a High Court judge said the granddad-of-five must comply with the council and remove the centre.
Graham Wildin In the cinema ( SWNS.com)

Of these, the authority has received around £30,000. Approximately £48,000 plus interest remains due.

Cinderford County Councillor Graham Morgan (Labour), who remembers visiting the site as a district councillor when the planning wrangle first started, said he never thought it would reach this stage.

“It’s a turn up for the books!” he said. “I didn’t think they would ever do that, to be honest.

“I went there with the late Norman Stephens from the very early beginnings with Peter Williams who was then director of planning at the council.

“I said to Graham Wildin, look, why didn’t you apply for planning permission?

Graham Wildin inside the leisure centre he has built for himself and his family in his back garden (file pic) See SWNS story SWBRcave; A man ordered to knock down 'Britain's best man cave' which he built illegally in his back garden has been told to pay £30,000 to the council to cover its prosecution costs. Graham Wildin, 66, spent four years battling with authorities over the private leisure complex. It contains a bowling alley, cinema, casino and a gym - and pictures from Google Earth show it looking like a massive factory. But a High Court judge said the granddad-of-five must comply with the council and remove the centre.
Graham Wildin wagered on getting away with building the man cave without planning permission ( SWNS.com)

“He said ‘well they will want what they want me to have and I want what I want’. I said ‘well I can’t help you then’.

“Someone from London was telling him he didn’t need planning permission.”

Cllr Morgan said Mr Wildin was advised that he needed planning permission and officers explained why.

“The area the building covers needed permission anyway because it was in a residential area,” he said.

“But he wouldn’t take any notice. I could never understand a bloke who was successful in business, why he went that way.

“He had a lot of other things he had applied for and they gave him it.

“I can understand the district council can be challenging at times with planning, but he seemed hellbent on doing it anyway.

“I never thought it would get to this stage. I thought someone would back down.

“I wouldn’t like to estimate how much that cost.”

A spokesperson for the council said they cannot disclose the costs associated with the demolition as they are commercially sensitive.

“We will seek to recover the costs from the landowner and also recover costs by selling anything of value recovered from the building,” they said.