The Council is putting the brakes on Top Gear star Richard Hammond’s bid to refurbish his £2 million castle

City officials have shelved an application from Top Gear star Richard Hammond to refurbish his £2million listed 15th-century castle with a new glass kitchen and conservatory.

Mr Hammond’s dreams of renovating Bollitree Castle in Herefordshire were finally nipped in the bud by Herefordshire Council after months of back and forth reportedly failed to allay concerns about the officers’ heritage.

Hammond’s plans were originally approved in 2019, but they took an unexpected turn in March 2021, when he wanted to introduce new design features including a glass kitchen and luggage room extensions, internal conversions and transforming the existing conservatory into a conservatory. This is reported by the Forest Review.

At this point Conor Ruttledge, the council’s building preservation officer, stalled the plan while asking for more information.

As the deadline has now passed, Simon Rowles, Herefordshire Council’s development manager, wrote to Hammond informing him that the plans will be quashed.

Hammond and his wife wanted to tear down this conservatory (as it stands today) at the back of their 15th century castle and replace it with a larger conservatory

Mr Rowles noted that there had been an inability to obtain a meeting, or to receive any additional information required from Mr. Hammond.

Planning documents show conservationists claim the new plans will cause “unjustified harm” to the home.

Sarah Lewis, Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas for Historic England, said: ‘Bollitree Castle is part of a group of highly classified Grade II listed buildings of immense character and great historical and aesthetic value.

‘The proposal to replace the conservatory and to realize an extension on the north facade leads to an unjustified impairment of the significance that has been prevented by an alternative plan.

This is an artist’s impression of what their new conservatory would look like, which will include a larger kitchen, which has been criticized as ‘inappropriate’ by Historic England

The star’s plans (above) have been condemned as ‘visually and architecturally intrusive’ by Historic England, who have recommended that the proposals be redesigned

“Historical England recommends that the proposals be reviewed and redesigned to avoid this damage.”

Ms Lewis added in a letter to the council: ‘Historic England believes that the kitchen would detract from its meaning because of its visually and architecturally intrusive form and inappropriate function.

Hammond (pictured) is one of the most famous British TV presenters on Top Gear

“These concerns underline the principle problem that bringing out a traditionally low-status – and thus discreetly located – feature at the historic home’s garden level would create an uncomfortable and inappropriate contrast to the traditional layout and character of this building.” and would lead to impairment of meaning.

‘Historic England is concerned about applications on heritage grounds.’

A design statement from Hammond’s architects states that his new plans have the advantage of having the kitchen directly adjoined to the dining room and hall.

The statement says: ‘The client’s need for kitchen space is modest and as such this element fits into a plan slightly larger than that of the approved conservatory.

‘The main advantage of this is that the approved location for the kitchen extension can be reserved for a utility room at the back of the house and a boot room within the approved footprint, without having to subdivide or compromise the historic space that is the existing kitchen .’

The couple originally had plans for a kitchen and boot room extension and a new conservatory in the castle (above), approved by Herefordshire Council in 2019, but they have changed plans

As part of their new application, the Hammonds submitted this sketch of the southwest elevation of their beautiful estate

Hammond and his wife Mindy have lived happily in the castle for the past 13 years (above)

Car enthusiast Hammond tried to get his new plans through using a report he commissioned for the previous plans from heritage expert Justin Ayton, who has had nothing to do with the current proposal.

Historic England, meanwhile, required the kitchen and utility plans to be redesigned if they were to be approved by the council.

Hammond made a name for himself as one of Britain’s most recognized TV presenters fronting Top Gear and now The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime with Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

He nearly died in 2006 when his jet-powered Vampire dragster spun off a runway at 280 mph in a Top Gear stunt.

The father-of-two later revealed that he suffered from depression, paranoia and memory loss due to brain damage.