Man ordered to remove lion-topped gate posts from outside his castle

A millionaire property developer is embroiled in a planning row with his local council after he was ordered to remove two £15,000 lion-topped gate posts from his castle. Edward Packer, 73, is furious after officials ruled that the 12ft high Bath stone pillars outside his seven-bedroom folly are “out of keeping” with the local area. He has been handed an enforcement notice to remove the structures, which were modelled on the entrance to Chepstow Racecourse.

But Mr Packer says the posts have been well-received by local residents and has vowed to fight the “unelected officials” who are demanding their removal. The property magnate, who lives in the Sneyd Park area of Bristol, stormed: “An Englishman’s home is supposed to be his castle. Well, I live in a castle but it doesn’t feel that way after seeing these officials come up here and tell me to take my pillars down.” Mr Packer moved into Cooks Folly, which was built in the 1840s, around 15 years ago and built the pillars just before Christmas.



A letter from the council states the new pillars are “out of keeping” with the listed 1860s house and have “no substantial public benefit”. But Mr Packer disputes the council’s claim and says the posts are an asset, which enhance the road. He said: “They say it is out of context with the area, but it’s the area which is out of context with our house, with all the modern developments which were allowed to be built around here.

“I see the posts as an asset, which enhances the folly. I haven’t met one person who doesn’t like them. Apparently there have been five complaints but no one has told me they don’t like the gates. One person said they didn’t like the colour. Some people have been talking about me like I’m some toff. My father was a prisoner of war in Japan and he died in 1950 because of it. My mother bought me up in a council house in Bristol. I’m just a working class, hard working builder.”

There's a short video here.