Channel 4 star could be forced to demolish bikini sunroom she built in £4m home in bitter neighbour spy row
A CHANNEL 4 star could have to demolish the bikini sunroom at her £4million home amid a bitter row with her neighbour.
Celebrity interior designer Celia Sawyer, known as "Mrs Bling", has been involved in a privacy battle with Neil Kennedy, who lives nextdoor to her in affluent Sandbanks, Dorset.
Retired accountant Mr Kennedy had built a balcony which Celia claims overlooks her garden - where she regularly lays in a bikini.
Celia - who stars in Channel 4's Four Rooms - and her husband Nick heavily opposed the construction of the feature, which is located on the mansion's third floor and overlooks Poole Harbour.
Mr Kennedy was forced to apply for retrospective planning permission for the balcony, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) gave it the tick of approval.
Celia had previously slammed the green light decision, telling MailOnline: "I think it's appalling my neighbour is allowed to have windows looking into someone's house.
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"Saying it's not overlooking or a breach of privacy because it is a bathroom is absolute rubbish.
"It doesn't make me feel good, to know he can stand on his balcony and look into our garden when I'm in my bikini."
After permission was granted, BCP got an anonymous complaint that Celia's glass sunroom - which was installed in 2020 - also did not have planning permission.
Now Celia has been invited to make a retrospective planning permission application, but the sunroom is so close to the edge of the water there is a high risk of it flooding.
Buildings are not typically allowed to be built in such places, but a decision on the matter by the BCP planning department is set to be reached this week.
Celia may have to tear down the sunroom if permission is denied.
Celia and Mr Kennedy both declined to comment.
The properties have rear gardens which back onto the water and have panoramic views over Poole Harbour.
Celia purchased her property with Nick for £2.7m in 2007, with the house now worth more than £4million.
What are your retrospective planning permission rights?
A local planning authority can invite a retrospective application, according to Gov.uk.
You should submit your application without delay.
Although a local planning authority may invite an application, you must not assume permission will be granted.
A person who has undertaken unauthorised development has only one opportunity to obtain planning permission after the event.
This can either be through a retrospective planning application or an appeal against an enforcement notice - on the grounds that planning permission should be granted or the conditions should be removed.
The local planning authority can decline a retrospective planning application if an enforcement notice has previously been issued.
No appeal may be made if an enforcement notice is issued within the time allowed for determination of a retrospective planning application.
Celia and her husband did not object to Mr Kennedy's initial plans to rip down a £2million bungalow next to their home.
He planned to replace it with a three-storey house, but the couple had said their neighbour failed to stick to the original proposals.
The couple also had issues as they say windows have been added to both sides of the new property, meaning their neighbour could look directly into their house.
BCP were unable to comment because it concerns a live application.
Four Rooms moves has a revolving cast of 12 dealers in art, antiques and collectibles waiting in four separate rooms, each prepared to spend their own fortunes if the right item comes through their door.
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Members of the public come to sell items in the hope of walking away with a life-changing amount of money.
Sellers give everything they've got to persuade the dealers that their treasure is the real deal, while the dealers have to figure out what the real value of the item is.
