A father and daughter have told of their two year ‘nightmare’ fighting controversial plans by the oil rich billionaire ruler of Dubai to build a lodge at his Scottish Highland retreat just yards from their home.
Highland Council refused the development in June because it would have been too close to a neighbouring bungalow, which is home to 72-year-old Roddy Macleod and his daughter Tina.
It follows a long-running row over the six-bedroom scheme by the billionaire sheikh – to add to the almost 60-plus bedrooms he already has permission for.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has had his latest application to build a lodge on his sprawling Scottish estate rejected by the local council after concerns it was too close to his neighbour’s bungalow
The 70-year-old sheikh, with a fortune in excess of £3.3 billion, has been accused of a ‘hostile takeover’ of his the shoreline of Loch Duich by adding several building to his 63,000-acre estate he bought more than 20 years ago for a reported £2 million
Highland Council’s North Planning Applications Committee voted 9-5 against the scheme – which had been recommended for approval – on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s estate.
But the shiekh’s Smech Properties Ltd lodged an appeal against refusal and the latest update by the Scottish Government planning and environmental appeals division says it aims to make a decision by next month.
‘This appeal has been allocated to a reporter. The period for written submissions from members of the public has ended. The authority has provided its response to the appeal and the applicant is now entitled to comment,’ it said.
‘The reporter is looking at the documents and submissions, and will consider what, if any, further procedures are necessary in order to consider this appeal.
Neighbour Roddy Macleod, 72, and his daughter Tina, said: ‘In my 30 odd years here, the family have only been up five times. Other guests come from time to time – such as his London and airline staff’
‘This includes the site inspection arrangements (if any), the need for further information and the way in which the case will be considered for example a hearing or public inquiry. Further details will be forthcoming in due course.’
Mr Macleod said the sheikh was a rare visitor ‘and certainly not to see me’.
‘In my 30 odd years here, the family have only been up five times. Other guests come from time to time – such as his London and airline staff,’ he said today.
‘Nobody realises just how much of a massive great structure this will be. He just seems determined to keep going with this. It has been a real strain.’
Ms Macleod added: ‘It’s been a nightmare for two years now. It’s been like a hostile takeover of the area. They have helicopters flying around when they go shooting for stags – in fact one of my earliest memories is a stag hanging from a helicopter.
‘There’s more satellite dishes on their properties than at the local naval base. There are other places he could have built numerous mansions without people batting an eyelid. It is not just us it’s going to affect, but the future of the area.’
Pictured: Drawings sent to the Highland Council show Mr MacLeod’s bungalow sitting just metres from the sheikh’s lodge. The council refused the application
The six-bedroom lodge would have to be accessed from a small country road also used by Mr Macleod and the parish church
Agents for the sheikh – who founded the Emirates airline – first applied for planning permission at Inverinate in Wester Ross over a year ago, the third attempt to get approval for the lodge.
The scheme has caused an outcry locally.
Mr Macleod, whose home is 65ft from the proposed lodge said it would invade his privacy and spoil the enjoyment of his home, which he has lived in for 35 years. Locals also say the proposed access road for the lodge will cause problems.
But at June’s planning meeting local member Derek MacLeod said he could see no reason to refuse the application.
However committee chair Maxine Smith said what was being proposed was ‘a massive mansion’ which could not have been originally imagined for that land.
Mr Macleod, whose home is 65ft from the proposed lodge said it would invade his privacy and spoil the enjoyment of his home, which he has lived in for 35 years
Agents for the sheikh – who founded the Emirates airline – first applied for planning permission at Inverinate in Wester Ross over a year ago, the third attempt to get approval for the lodge
‘I really don’t understand why they need to build right next to somebody else. Putting that massive mansion right next to a small bungalow is just awful for the people who live in that place,’ she said.
Her motion for refusal was backed by the committee.
Council planning officer Graham Sharp, who had recommended approval, said what was now being proposed was less ‘mock baronial’ and more in keeping with Highland architecture. Ten windows that would have overlooked the nearest neighbour had been removed from the plan.
The sheikh’s agents, Farningham Planning Ltd, said most of the land was purchased from The Church of Scotland in 2017 with the benefit of planning permission.
Alongside the original manor house, the sheikh has added a 16-bedroom hunting lodge with a swimming pool and gym, and several helipads.
Plans for the proposed Ptarmigan Lodge – which will act as accommodation for the sheikh’s guests – were originally submitted in March last year.
The sheikh also bid to build a new nine bedroom mansion on his Scottish property because his 30-bed estate isn’t big enough to. Pictured: An artist impression of the proposed nine-bedroom house shows that the new build could look like
Nobody wrote in support of the latest application. In fact there are nearly twice as many objections than against the previous plan.
One neighbour even described it as ‘a land grab on the Trump scale.’
Architects have reduced the size of the proposed building and said it will have six bedrooms rather than nine.
However this time the scheme drew over 30 objections.
The sheikh’s architects previously said the family’s trips to Inverinate have been ‘limited by lack of accommodation’ – despite already having 30 bedrooms there – and another 28 approved in February last year.
The Sheikh has more than 20 children with several women that he wants to accommodate during their summer visits to the Scottish Highlands. He has two children with Princess Haya of Jordan (pictured in 2013), but the couple have now divorced
The sheikh, who founded the Godolphin racehorse stud has made all his applications to Highland Council through his company Smech Properties Ltd.
With reportedly six wives, more than 20 children, numerous relatives and a large entourage of bodyguards and servants, Transport Scotland had also been concerned over the wear and tear to the local road caused by the sheikh’s future trips to his Highland hideaway.
It wanted the sheikh to detail how often he and his regal retinue are planning to head north and what the ‘cumulative traffic impact’ will be.
But the sheikh’s agents said: ‘It is anticipated that there will be no significant increase in car movements above the existing traffic flow following completion of the construction phase. As with the current lodges, the majority of visits to the property are by either coach or helicopter, supported by a fleet of six 4×4 cars for shooting parties/visits.
‘There is no recorded data available on frequency of visits or length of duration.’
The 70-year-old sheikh, who is believed to have a fortune in excess of £3.3 billion, bought the 63,000-acre estate more than 20 years ago for a reported £2 million.
Earlier this year Sheikh Mohammed made headlines after being found by the High Court to have abducted and forcibly returned two of his daughters to Dubai.