A property developer has hit back at wildlife campaigners treating him like ‘the Antichrist’ over plans to build new homes on his estate – arguing the proceeds will rescue a crumbling historic mansion 

In 2020, entrepreneur James Perkins bought the blackened shell of Parnham House in Beaminster, Dorset, which was entirely ravaged by a blaze that took fire crews four days to extinguish in 2017. 

The 500-year-old home’s former owner, Austrian financier Michael Treichl, was arrested on suspicion of arson. Tragically, two months later he was found dead in Lake Geneva after suffering from depression. 

Mr Perkins vowed to restore the Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor, which was remodelled by Buckingham Palace architect John Nash in the 1800s, back to its former glory by ploughing £25million into the project.

The ex-rave promoter and his wife Sophie, paid £2.5m for the Parnham Park estate and house, having successfully breathed new life into four other stately home properties, including Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire. 

But the project is one that has already generated significant spends. 

Mr Perkins has to date shelled out £8m on emergency works to prevent the house from collapsing altogether, alongside planning applications and consultants.

A hefty £1.2m has been spent on scaffolding alone.

James Perkins, pictured with his wife Sophie, has hit back at wildlife campaigners treating him like ‘the Antichrist’ over plans to build new homes on his estate – arguing the proceeds will rescue a historic mansion

The mansion was ravaged by a blaze that took fire crews four days to extinguish in 2017

An artist’s impression of the restoration work on the Grade I-listed Elizabethan manor

The developer is also seeking permission to build new homes – as seen in an artist’s impression – in part of the estate to help generate income to fund the restoration project

But he estimates another £15m is needed to restore the historic home, wing by wing.

Two years ago, he and his wife moved into the five-bedroom west wing, but there are plans to create 12 bedrooms within the main house, alongside another 33 guest bedrooms across the estate to help the property maintain itself financially.

Planning permissions have already been secured for guest houses, including river lodges and a boathouse, while a restaurant is up and running and already features in the Michelin guide.

The homeowner has also applied for permission to build 82 homes on a 21-acre field within the 131-acre estate. 

But when the plans were first unveiled in December, Mr Perkins said he faced the wrath of conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts.

They said ‘bulldozing’ the meadow will destroy the natural habitat of badgers, which are a protected species. Among them was a rare albino badger known to the local residents as Alberto.

Critics said the meadow was a haven for other wildlife, including barn owls, otters, grass snakes and dormice.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Perkins said he had been treated unfairly and said it was his intention to save the historic home.

The matter could be a test case as to whether stately home owners can rightfully develop parts of the estate to save properties of historic value.

He said: ‘People like me need to be encouraged and I feel like we’re being discouraged.  The nimbys think you’re the Antichrist – it can be a lonely journey.’

Wildlife campaigners are concerned the development of a field on the estate would destroy the natural habitat of a rare albino badger named Alberto 

In response to those who opposed the plans, he added: ‘I’m not building on your front garden, it’s my garden.’

He added that for each ‘mini objection’ received he has had to hire consultants to respond or send ‘special grasses’ off for testing in a lab. The money for such endeavours, he argues, could however have been spent on the restoration project. 

A spokesperson for Dorset Natural Heritage Initiative previously said: ‘[The field] isn’t just a green space – it’s home to one of the UK’s rarest sights: a regular population of albino badgers.

‘Beaminster first grew attached to Alberto, an injured albino badger, which was rescued back in 2015, but he’s no longer alone.

‘These pale, pink-eyed badgers now rely on the meadow’s quiet, undisturbed habitat to survive – occasionally visiting the houses dotted along this stretch of the River Brit.

‘Badgers and other wildlife were the winners in the Covid lockdowns, taking advantage of the resultant peace and quiet to explore and thrive in their reclaimed territories.

‘It now looks like that peace could be shattered forever.

‘The proposed Parnham housing development will bulldoze the meadow area to erect a dozen £1.25m town houses along with a £2m road bridge across the river – threatening to destroy this fragile environment.’

Meanwhile local resident and nature lover Colin Varndell said the development would be ‘catastrophic’ for nature.

He said: ‘I am not interested in saving the house, that can fall down as far as I am concerned but it would be catastrophic for nature.

‘The river is totally secluded and there is no public access. There are a couple of bridges across it that people can stand on to observe the wildlife.

‘They are talking about opening it all up and making it a walkway for the public to use. It will be bereft of wildlife.

‘I am totally against it. The estate will be built for the benefit of wealthy people who can afford to pay £1m for a town house in the country.

‘Parnham House was destroyed by fire, which is regrettable, but it is just a building. Destroying the natural environment and the nature and character of Beaminster would be inexcusable.

‘There would be a massive loss of habitat, loss of dark skies, loss of recreational land and the character of the Parkland and Mill Ground would be changed irretrievably.’

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Mr Perkins’ design and access statement for his ambitious scheme states the scale of development is necessary to make the restoration of the south wing of the house ‘financially sustainable’.

It said the housing estate would replicate nearby Poundbury, King Charles’ model town built on Duchy of Cornwall land near Dorchester.

The two and three-storey homes will have distinctive design features from Parnham House including store windows, pinnacles and castellations.

Mr Perkins’ developers said that the design was ‘sympathetic and would not have an undue impact on the setting of Parnham House’.

They added only 14 trees would be cut down and 80 new ones planted, alongside the restoration of riverbanks. 

Mr Perkins’ planning agents said: ‘The overriding aim of the applicant is to conserve and restore this exceptionally important Grade I listed house to a standard where it will be financially sustainable, thus maintaining the heritage asset and securing its future and ensuring that it will once again be at the heart of the local community.

‘In view of the very substantial costs associated with saving and protecting the house, enabling development is proposed to address a viability gap in the funding.

‘Whilst there are no direct precedents for the unique challenges of this site, development at the nearby Poundbury extension to Dorchester have been reviewed as have other ‘urban extension’ and developments creating new communities near existing centres.

‘The proximity of the site to Beaminster offers opportunities for design cues to be taken from the town and enhanced to create a truly unique ‘Parnham’ development.

‘The enabling development has been designed with connections to Beaminster town and has been very carefully sited to sit sympathetically within the estate to ensure that it does not have an undue impact on the setting of Parnham House, nor on views in to the site from the surrounding landscape.’

Dorset Council is currently reviewing the application with a decision expected in the autumn.