The property could be altered to meet planning rules (Image: Omaze)
A stunning £6m seaside mansion up for grabs in ‘s million-pound raffle has been found in breach of planning rules.
The nearly 5,000-square-foot property, which is the to be offered in any UK prize draw and comes -free with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, was not built in accordance with the approved plans, council officials have said.
The three-bedroom, New England-style mansion in Blakeney, Norfolk, came under scrutiny after an anonymous member of the public raised concerns about discrepancies between the building’s approved and realised designs.
An investigation by North District Council found that some of the home’s most well-publicised features, including a heated swimming pool and astroturf tennis court, appeared to have been built without approval.
Omaze announced that the mansion would go to one lucky winner alongside a Porsche 911 Carrera and £250,000 in cash as part of a Comic Relief charity draw last month.
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The mansion’s astroturf tennis court could have been built without permission (Image: Omaze)
The new homeowner will be announced live on One’s Red Nose Day special in March.
But council officers are now considering what action to take against the planning breaches, the Eastern Daily Press reported, and could call for mandatory changes to be made to the property.
A resident in the nearby village of Cley was forced to tear down his multi-million-pound home in similar circumstances, after it was judged to have been built bigger than the approved plans – potentially putting the raffle winner in a tough spot.
The initial application for the Omaze property didn’t include permitted development rights, meaning extra amenities like the pool would have required a separate council go-ahead.
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But cabinet member Andrew Brown said the property could be let off scot-free, depending on when the changes were made. If enough time had passed, they could be judged as inactive breaches, he added.
“The next steps will be for the council’s enforcement board to discuss the findings,” Mr Brown said. “They will look at the breaches to identify which are active and which are not.”
A spokesperson for Omaze said: “Omaze guarantees that no house winner would ever have to incur any costs whatsoever to remedy an alleged historical planning breach.
“Omaze further guarantees that all house prizes are transferred to winners with good and marketable title.”