Millionaire, 45, who spent £13.5m on ‘world’s most expensive bungalow’ in Sandbanks now wants to demolish it as he reveals plans to build an eco-friendly home in its place that will ‘set a benchmark’ for posh neighbourhood

A millionaire who splashed out £13.5m on the most expensive house on Sandbanks now wants to demolish it.

Tom Glanfield set a record for the price paid for a property on the exclusive Dorset peninsula when he bought the 117-year-old bungalow in March.

But the 45-year-old will now flatten the colonial-style property that occupies the biggest waterside plot on the millionaires’ row.

He intends to spend over £7m building a luxury, eco-friendly home that will be an ‘exceptional piece of architecture’ that will ‘set a benchmark’ for the posh neighbourhood.

The two-storey property will be a ‘house among the trees’ and will look nothing like the contemporary, white-washed waterfront mansions Sandbanks is known for.

The plans show it will have five bedrooms, including a huge master suite that will have a raised jacuzzi bath, shower with sea views, dressing room, seating area and its own balcony.

The property at the end of the Sandbanks peninsula (circled) is set to be demolished

Downstairs there will be an enormous open-plan kitchen and dining area, a double height lounge, home office, entertainment bar and entertainment area, wine store and boot room.

The basement will be home to a cinema room, gym and shower room.

Outside there will be an upper terrace and patio and an undercover patio and a lawn which will run down to the water.

Mr Glanfield also intends to rebuild the 120 metre long stretch of harbour wall at the bottom of his garden.

The flat-roofed property will be made from a combination of textured stone and timber-effect cladding with lots of greenery planted on the walls.

It will have a living roof, solar panels and an air source heat pump.

It will have 6,350sq ft of living space.

A statement by the joint architects Marlow Architects and Arc Architecture said they wanted to design a ‘unique home that compliments the landscape of this spectacular plot’.

They said: ‘The proposed house is not a ‘typical’ Sandbanks contemporary design.

‘It has been carefully designed to be a part of the environment, with large areas of planting incorporated into the design helping the house fit seamlessly into the surrounding vegetation.

‘The proposal is thoughtfully set back from the main building line meaning the development will not impose on harbour views.

‘The client, from the outset, has been very clear on creating a house that will be efficient and a positive contributor to existing environment

‘The house itself is intended to be built to be carbon neutral, with the use of natural materials, renewable energy sources, green living roofs and high quality native species planting.

‘The design strives for the highest quality in the hope to set a benchmark for the future development of the area.

‘The plot deserves an exceptional piece of architecture rather than the tired bungalow that currently exists.’

How the proposed new eco-friendly property could look

The kitchen inside the bungalow, which was bought by Mr Glanfield for some £13.5m

The dining room inside the bungalow, which was bought by Mr Glanfield for some £13.5m

A CGI reveals how the property in Sandbanks could look if developed in the bungalow’s place

Mr Glanfield declined to comment on the plans which have now been submitted to BCP Council.

But he has previously expressed a desire to move away from the modern mansions of Sandbanks.

Mr Glanfield has said he will invest £7m into the local economy by using Dorset-based architects and engineers.

He said: ‘I am a bit of a conservationist but the current house is uneconomical and environmentally unfriendly.

‘We have got the chance to build something quite amazing there.

‘It is going to be a fully sustainable, environmentally friendly, carbon neutral home that will also be an iconic building to mark the entrance to the harbour that will be seen by boats and yachts coming and going.

‘The area has got a lot of superhomes but I am not that kind of guy. I am pleased that I bought it and not another property developer who is going to build another modern, three storey superhome that will cost £10,000 a month to run.’

The current property, called North Haven Point, was bought for a mere £1,000 by a Victorian botanist.

It was built in 1905 and extended in the 1950s.

Mr Glanfield is a self-made multi-millionaire who started a recruitment business 20 years ago with a student loan.

The company now has over 450 staff and offices in London, Manchester, Berlin, Munich, New York, Los Angeles and Austin in Texas.

ends

Source: Read Full Article