Chris Rokos could face enforcement action at Tottenham House

This comes after the council received a complaint about work being carried out on the site without planning permission.

Mr Rokos’ planning agent has now confirmed that they intend to submit a planning application within the next couple of weeks.

Tottenham House is located about five miles southeast of the town of Marlborough. (Image: SWNS) In August, Mr Rokos gave prior notification of a proposed accessway for agricultural purposes on land to the south of the Octagon at Tottenham House but withdrew the application after Burbage Parish Council unanimously objected.

However, Wiltshire Council later confirmed it had received a complaint about unauthorised work, which its enforcement team was investigating.

Now, the council has provided an update on the situation.

Councillor Nick Botterill, cabinet member for strategic planning and building control, said: “We have written to the planning agent who is representing the landowner to inform them that the works are unlawful and could be liable to enforcement action if a planning application is not submitted, and subsequently approved.

“The planning agent has confirmed that they intend to submit a planning application within the next couple of weeks.

“Once submitted, the application will follow the normal planning process and consultation.”

Should this retrospective planning application be refused, the enforcement team will direct the landowner to undertake remedial work.

Tottenham House has been the subject of a series of applications over the last few years, after a renovation to transform the site back into a family home was approved in 2018.

One of the most recent applications stated: “Through continued careful and responsible stewardship and significant financial investment, the owner has committed to make the estate (including the house) a model of how, in the 21st century, an estate of significant heritage importance can be managed for the long-term benefit of its owner and the wider local community, and to secure its enjoyment for future generations.”

Mr Rokos was estimated to have a worth of £2.5bn on the Sunday Times 2024 Rich List.

It is estimated that the newly restored house will need 69 staff and have running costs equivalent to a medium-sized hotel.

In 2014, the former owner of Tottenham House, the Earl of Cardigan David Brudenell-Bruce, sold the mansion to a developer for £11.25 m after a battle against the estate’s trustees to keep his ancestral home.

The 4,500-acre Savernake Estate had been in the family for nearly 200 years when it was sold.