EuroMilllions winner Adrian Bayford can finally sell his sprawling £6.5m country estate after being given the go-ahead to keep a state-of-the-art games room he built without planning permission.
The multi millionaire, who eight years ago shared a £148m fortune with his wife Gillian, had faced being told to tear down the building which he had converted into a snooker room and home cinema complete with a bar and serving counter.
But now local planners have said the games room can stay provided he carries out alterations that make the outbuilding look more in keeping with the historic character of his Grade II manor house in Linton, Cambridgeshire.
Adrian Bayford is selling the Cambridgeshire mansion he bought using his £148m EuroMillions winnings in 2012 for £6.5m
He put the seven-bed mansion on the market earlier this year – but inflation means the sale is set to lose him nearly £1million
The father-of-two put it on the market for £6.5million earlier this year. To match inflation, he would have to sell the 189-acre property for £7,239,896.
Friends say he is keen to sell as quickly as possible having suffered heartbreak there with Gillian, from whom he split the following year because of the stress of the win
The decision means the 49-year-old former postman can push ahead with the sale of the property having already moved out and relocated to Scotland to be closer to his two children and ex-wife.
Adrian paid £6,085,250 for his country estate with then wife Gillian after their win in 2012.
But a year later the pressure of the massive windfall ended their marriage and Gillian moved away while her husband remained in the eight-bedroom property.
Now Adrian is so desperate to get shot of the mansion that hold unhappy memories for him that he is selling at a £1million loss.
During his time living at the property, ex-wife Gillian divorced him, a fiancée called of their engagement and two girlfriends have dumped him.
He put it on the market for £6.5million earlier this year. To match inflation, he would have to sell the 189-acre property for £7,239,896.
But the dispute over planning permission would likely have put off any potential buyers.
A disused garage was converted into a games room and he also built a swimming pool without planning permission from south Cambridgeshire council.
A stumbling block to any proposed sale has been work the millionaire carried out on a crumbling garage (pictured)
Bayford upgraded the outbuilding (pictured above with new wooden doors) by turning it into a state-of-the-art games room. But he carried out the work without planning permission, which may have put off potential buyers of the listed property
After offering to carry out work that would restore the outside of the building (above) to its original character, including replacing terracotta ridge tiles and painting new facias and timber black, retrospective planning permission was granted
Bayford applied for retrospective planning permission and was granted approval for the pool – but had the games room rejected as the exterior was not in keeping with the heritage of the listed estate.
He re-applied for permission and submitted plans offering to carry out work that would restore the outside of the building to its original character, including replacing terracotta ridge tiles and painting new facias and timber black.
That move convinced planning chiefs to rule the conversion can stand, saying: ‘Concerns were raised by the Historic Buildings Officer to the original plans submitted with the application. However, these concerns have now been addressed through the submission of revised details.
‘The programme of works now proposed are considered to mitigate the unauthorised works that have been carried out to the building which are considered to detract from the significance of the designated heritage asset.
‘The works are now considered to result in a building which contributes positively to the legibility, character and appearance of the Horseheath Lodge estate group.’
Adrian left the property earlier this year and moved to Scotland to live closer to his ex-wife Gillian, 48, and their two children
The property with its stunning garden (pictured) carries with it some bad memories for Adrian – it’s where he lived when he divorced Gillian and a fiancee called off their engagement, plus it’s where two more relationships broke down for him
The seven-bedroom Grade II listed property includes this sumptuous bathroom and is set in 189 acres of land with stables
Bayford has suffered years of bad luck and romantic heartbreak since the win and splitting with his wife who returned to Dundee in Scotland with their children.
He got engaged to stable girl Samantha Burbidge, who was 20 years younger, after a six-week relationship, but she walked out on him after a few months.
He was also dumped by Polish factory worker Marta Jarosz, 35, and waitress Lisa Kemp, 40.
The former music shop owner has also allegedly fallen out with his friends including the director of the Cambridge Rock festival which he hosted on his lawn in 2017.
He bought a local village pub The Rose and Crown for £375,00 but was said to rarely visit after reportedly falling out with bar staff.
Bayford first put his sprawling estate up for sale two years ago but failed to get a buyer.
Earlier this year he moved up to Dundee where his ex-wife and her second husband live in a Victorian mansion.
The estate also has a large number of outbuildings, in particular a modern barn with space for offices, storage or further accommodation subject to planning consent
It has a history of involvement with horses and still retains a number of equestrian facilities including many stables and a dis-used menage
He wanted to live closer to his children so he spent £2.5million on two country piles in a week.
He splashed out £1.35million on a four-bedroom home with a rooftop garden and gym.
And he paid £1.1million for a pad 12 miles away with spectacular views of a loch, in Blairgowrie, Perthshire.
Gillian, who married Brian Deans, runs a property empire having bought over 30 homes with her share of the Euromilions win.