Keighley-born Kaiser Chiefs star renovated listed home without planning permission – Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Keighley-born Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson renovated his listed seaside home without planning permission, it has emerged.

The singer bought historic Stratton House as a home to "retire in" but tried to sell it last year for 1.5m after his career took off again.

The home - built in 1797 - remains on the market and boasts includes five bedrooms, a wealth of entertaining rooms and incredible views.

But it has now emerged Ricky spent two years and 500,000 making changes to it, some of which were completed without proper planning consent from Cornwall Council.

He has now submitted a retrospective application for the house in Falmouth, Cornwall, for 'variations to refurbishment and alteration works'

This includes work already undertaken to create an open plan kitchen and dining room, pave driveways and create a "snug area."

He also needs retrospective permission for a number of other works including new driveway gates, secret shelving to the library and paving works outside.

The application from CAD Architects Limited, states that while Ricky got permission for some works - others were started without consent.

A report stated the unapproved works began on September 26, 2013, and were completed on September, 26, 2015.

CAD Architects Ltd said it prepared applications for planning permission and listed building consent for various repair and alteration works to the house in 2012 which were approved the following year.

A spokesperson added: The full extent of the approved works was not implemented, and some minor variations were made to some details of the permitted works as they were completed.

"Some works were also completed prior to their relevant planning conditions being discharged.

"The completed works have protected Stratton House for the medium term by attending to necessary repairs and securing uses for redundant areas of the building (principally the basement) to prevent them falling into decay.

"These works were completed alongside an extensive high-quality refurbishment which, due to the sympathetic approaches of the applicant and owner, retained far more historic fabric than was originally expected.

"Overall the completed works, including the relatively few but high-impact alterations, have greatly enhanced the atmosphere and functionality of the house and its private garden areas, increasing the enjoyment of the property for its current and future owners with the crucial benefit of incentivising proactive future maintenance for the long term safeguarding of the asset."

A design and access statement attached to the application said: "The principal variations and additions to the works approved under Listed Building Consent (LBC) for which retrospective LBC is now sought are: alteration and enhancement of former kitchen extension to form Snug area in lieu of previously approved replacement extension."

The report added that retrospective permission was also sought for "works to the former dining room/kitchen chimney breast to create open plan layout; hard landscaping works (paving) to yard, basement buttresses and driveway; railing details to external basement stair; secret shelving door to library; replacement basement floor slab; new driveway gates."

The application will be considered by Cornwall Council by Monday, April 12.

Ricky, 42, said he had planned to 'retire' here but put the house up for sale through estate agency Lillicrap Chilcott after his music career re-booted.

It is understood to still be on the market.

Speaking previously about the home, Ricky said: The general consensus is that you should only be a pop star for four or five years. I had outlived my time.

"I was ready for a quiet life in Falmouth. Then I got my second wind and my career took off again."

Ricky said that he had barely spent any time at Stratton House, which he bought in 2012, because he is now so busy with music - so decided to sell.

He fell in love with the town when he holidayed with a former girlfriend in 2010, and has called the seaside town his temporary home for the past seven years.

He added: We found a last-minute cottage in Falmouth. I walked into town to buy some bread and milk, and I had this intense feeling that I could live here. I instantly felt comfortable.

In the winter, I like to close the shutter, put the fire on and listen to the ocean battering the house.

"I bought a telescope so I could look out to sea and feel dramatic, romantic and wistful, but it doesnt work.

The singer, whose hits include Ruby, Never Miss A Beat and Oh My God, used Stratton House when he was not at his North London home.

Among the works Ricky carried out was to lower the entire floor of the basement to create a two-bedroom garden flat and his proudest achievement was creating a secret door which opens up on to a sun room.

The house is decorated in William Morris-style floral wallpaper and is dotted throughout with antiques, family heirlooms, Persian rugs and Kaiser Chiefs memorabilia.

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Keighley-born Kaiser Chiefs star renovated listed home without planning permission - Bradford Telegraph and Argus