He's the eccentric, taxidermy loving tycoon who made millions from the 90s rave scene. Now James Perkins is at war with neighbours over plans to build 82 houses to fund his biggest project yet - renovating the 'Buckingham Palace of Dorset'

Published: 16:24, 19 July 2026 | Updated: 16:24, 19 July 2026 Tucked away in a bowl-shaped valley, surrounded by rolling hills, just miles from the Jurassic Coast, the quaint west Dorset town of Beaminster is simply picture perfect. With honey-coloured stone cottages, rose-filled gardens and a charming bunting-filled square, beyond the reach of motorways – the whole county has none – it is a true pastoral idyll. 'It's like something out of a Jane Austen novel,' one resident said, when the Daily Mail visited this week. 'It is literally our green and pleasant land.' But these quiet streets, home to only around 3,000 people, who leave their doors unlocked and know each other by name, have, in recent years, become slightly less so. Windows throughout Beaminster now bear stickers and signs saying 'No!' to planned development works at Parnham House, a derelict 131-acre estate to the south of the village. Former rave promoter James Perkins, 57, who set up nineties party organiser Fantazia, bought the property for £2.5million in 2020, with the aim of turning it into a hotel and events venue. But to raise £15million to help pay for it, the couple want to obtain and sell planning permission for a gated riverside community of 82 luxury homes on the stately home's parkland. The project has alarmed residents, who fear it will wreck biodiversity, interrupt their views, create no affordable housing for locals – and maybe even fail at saving the historic house. Former rave promoter James Perkins (pictured with his wife Sophie), 57, who set up nineties party organiser Fantazia, bought Parnham Park for £2.5million in 2020, with the aim of turning it into a hotel and events venue The house (pictured late last year) was left to wrack and ruin until Mr Perkins and his wife Sophie bought it three years later, aiming to restore it But to raise £15million to help pay for it, the couple want to obtain and sell planning permission for a gated riverside community of 82 luxury homes on the stately home's parkland The project has alarmed residents, who fear it will wreck biodiversity, interrupt their views, create no affordable housing for locals – and maybe even fail at saving the historic house. Pictured: One of the cottages on the house's grounds  In 2017, Parnham House, which was then the home of Austrian financier Michael Treichl, burnt down, in a fire which took four days to put out, leaving only the facade intact. He was soon arrested on suspicion of arson – and was then tragically found dead two months later in Lake Geneva in Switzerland, after suffering from depression. The house was left to wrack and ruin until Mr Perkins and his wife Sophie bought it three years later, aiming to restore it, as they had previously done so with four other stately homes. He was born in Cheltenham to a father who worked for MI5 and an antiques dealer mother – from whom he inherited a taste for collecting. In fact, Mr Perkins and his wife are known for stuffing the previous manors they have worked on – which include Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire – with weird and wonderful decor, including Greek busts, disco balls and taxidermy. Indeed, they have already started filling Parnham with their 'Modern Grand Tour' collection of curiosities, including dinosaur skeletons, a giant shark fin and ostrich feather lamps. The couple hire out their estates for celebrity parties to help pay for the works, in the style of the mass raves Mr Perkins started hosting aged just 15. Stars like Noel Gallagher, Kate Moss, Madonna and Bono have all been known to attend lavish gatherings at Aynhoe – and Parnham appears to have similarly famous connections. Their project manager, property developer Edward Grant, is married to socialite Chloe Delevingne – elder sister of Cara and Poppy. And the couple's planning application, for both the restoration and the home-building to fund it, is full of supportive comments from their celebrity friends, such as musician Jack Savoretti. The application is still under consideration by Dorset Council, after the consultation period closed in February. Mr Perkins is said to be expecting a result by September. But locals have set up a campaign group, the Dorset Natural Heritage Initiative (DNHI), to oppose the plans – and Alison Rogers, 62, is one of its leading members. 'This isn't in any shape or form something that will benefit the Beaminster community and we are being asked to give up a lot in order for Mr Perkins to line his own pockets,' she told this newspaper. 'Lots of people walk along the river and love it. It is a place where you can stand and watch the kingfishers, you can see otters. It is a really beautiful zen place. 'It is a piece of Thomas Hardy bucolic countryside. It's a really stunningly beautiful piece of countryside and it's fantastically placed. 'You can literally walk down past the church and out into the countryside and it's magical. People don't want that built on. They have previously done this with four other stately homes, including Aynhoe Park in Oxfordshire (pictured). They love collecting and are known for filling the manors with weird and wonderful objects  The application is still under consideration by Dorset Council, after the consultation period closed in February. Mr Perkins is said to be expecting a result by September. Pictured: The proposed building site, outlined in red, with the boundaries of the estate in blue, and the town of Beaminster to the north  But the project (pictured, in planning documents) has alarmed residents, who fear it will wreck biodiversity, interrupt their views and create no affordable housing for locals But the couple (pictured, at a recent party at Aynhoe, one of the other manors they have restored) still want to make the estate more viable as a hotel, by creating more guest bedrooms in the main house and in properties in the grounds  'He wants to build on both sides of the river. People are absolutely outraged by that.' The charity boss, who has lived in the town for two-and-a-half years, continued: 'The idea that we're somehow "NIMBYs" is really shocking. 'We're not NIMBYs, because there's a lot of support in the town for a diverse town – a town that has enough housing for local people. 'It's a really quite nice, caring, old-fashioned place, where people genuinely look after each other, and they respect each other's different points of views, and we all get along very nicely together. 'And now he's introduced this really hostile, unpleasant element into the town.' A large part of campaigners' uncertainty around the project is about how it might be financed. Mr Perkins has spent £8million on the scheme so far and has said he will need to fork out millions more of his own money, on top of the £15million from the housing development. Due to the scale and contention of the development, an independent review of the proposed cost was commissioned by the council – which also raised some money questions. 'There has been an absence of information provided by the applicant to date,' the report noted, with 'key documentation' missing. This includes, it notes, 'a detailed independently prepared business plan', outlining full predicted cash flows and profit and loss forecasts. It has created fears about mission creep changes to the scheme – what if the homes are only half-built? What if designs have to be changed later? What if Parnham House is never restored? DNHI member Julie Savill, 66, said: 'These houses are either going to be for very wealthy people who want to come and live in the shadow of a historic country house or they're going to be holiday homes or rentals. 'The town planning on the whole, up until now, has had some really commendable wins. They have used lots of little brownfield sites within the town. Her fellow member Julie Savill, 66, said: 'These houses are either going to be for very wealthy people who want to come and live in the shadow of a historic country house or they're going to be holiday homes or rentals'  'There will be three or four houses tucked in and it's been done really sympathetically. They're not swanky, fancy houses, they are appropriate family homes. 'They've all been woven in so that it just feels like part of the organic development of the town.' The estate agency marketing representative continued: '82 top-end houses is a huge number for a market like this. 'So, the chances of them being able to build and sell 82 houses at over £600,000 within a short timeframe are very slim. 'So, they're going to have to roll them out piecemeal. So, the project is going to go on and on and on and then you wonder, what then is the feed of money into the house project? 'Finances are the main thing because without clear finance and a clear plan, nothing else matters. And it just won't get off the ground.' Ms Rogers agreed: 'There are huge holes in his finances and he is expecting us to just take as read that they'll somehow be plugged. There's a hell of a lot that doesn't add up.'  Locals have set up a campaign group, the Dorset Natural Heritage Initiative (DNHI), to oppose the plans – and Alison Rogers, 62, is one of its leading members Parnham House is full of history, with the Grade I-listed Elizabethan mansion having served as a private home, craftsmanship school and even an American airbase in the Second World War. The home has previously been dubbed the 'Buckingham Palace of Dorset', for its 19th-century remodelling by architect John Nash, who worked on the castle, as well as Brighton Pavilion. Mr Perkins and his wife started by completing emergency works to stabilise the ruined house before restoring five bedrooms in the west wing, which they now both live in and run as a hotel. The Parnham Restaurant, which the Michelin Guide notes for its 'glorious garden views', is already running, offering seasonal produce, including oysters and a £36 Hebridean hogget. Guests can already stay in the main house, which has butlers and a 'hidden speakeasy', or a restored £475-a-night three-bedroom cottage on the grounds, with a private heated pool. They can enjoy a number of activities, including paddleboarding on the estate's lake, private painting lessons, foraging and cookery courses and massages. The couple plan to build a gated community of 82 homes, ranging in cost from £600,000 to £2.3million, on 21 acres of the estate. Pictured: Plans for the properties  They will be accompanied by a gym, padel court (pictured in plans) and natural swimming pool The grounds are also available to hire for weddings and the public are offered a range of events, including house tours, beekeeping days, forest schools and fitness classes in the parkland. But the couple still want to make the estate more viable as a hotel, by restoring the south and north wings to create 12 bedrooms in the main house. There are also plans for 33 more guest rooms in the grounds, which also boasts a deer park, across a series of lodges and cottages, along with a boathouse. To pay for it, the couple plan to build a gated community of 82 homes, ranging in cost from £600,000 to £2.3million, on 21 acres of the estate. They will be accompanied by a gym, padel court and natural swimming pool. They have now applied for planning permission for both the remaining work on the main house and the new homes, with the final documents still being submitted. If it was granted, the Perkinses would sell a long leasehold for the 82 homes to a developer for £15million, which would go into an escrow account controlled by the council. Each time Mr Perkins completed more work on the main house, a surveyor would inspect it and sign it off, releasing funds from the council to cover it. The system comes under an obscure area of planning law called 'enabling development', which allows the restoration of heritage properties to be funded by commissioning other works. Mr Perkins has said the project will create 400 construction jobs and 100 hospitality jobs.  But residents, who have submitted more than 1,200 planning objections in total, are not blinded by these bright lights – and have a number of concerns about the scheme. The houses are set to be built on either side of the River Brit, a picturesque, biodiverse area full of otters, kingfishers, dormice and ancient trees, which residents love to enjoy. Dog walkers, horse riders, runners and ramblers love to enjoy the public footpaths running through, next to and looking down on the estate, where the view would be interrupted. Parnham House, by contrast, is protected by a grove of extremely tall trees, with the house itself not visible from ground level – meaning its outlook would be nearly completely preserved. The development would also stop the area acting as a nature corridor, campaigners say – a passage for species to move freely between habitats. There are worries about disruption to the bucolic landscape enshrined in Thomas Hardy's novels – Tess Of The d'Ubervilles, for example, features Beaminster as fictionalised Emminster. In fact, the Hardy Way, a more than 200-mile walking trail visiting places associated with the author, passes right along the River Brit. Residents have also expressed concerns about pressure on infrastructure – doctors, dentists and schools – as well as residential and construction traffic on Beaminster's narrow streets. The town also has an ongoing issue with sewage, they said, with lorries coming almost daily to collect it, given the narrow, old system in place locally. Opponents also fear residents of the town, where the average house price is around £400,000, would not be able to afford the multi-million-pound properties. This, they say, would mean the community would not derive benefits from the houses – while rich buyers would snap them up as second homes, inflating property prices locally. Some 460 other new houses that have been proposed for Beaminster – which, crucially, include affordable homes – have not received similar local opposition. They also pointed out the property itself is Grade I-listed, the park and gardens are Grade II-registered and they sit within the highly protected Dorset National Landscape. 'If we don't preserve this, frankly, nothing's sacred,' Ms Rogers said. 'What if we don't protect this place? Where will we protect?' She added: 'It's a really pretty unspoilt landscape, and it will be absolutely butchered with these large, twee suburban houses. 'If it wasn't enabling development, the planners would laugh them out of court.' The restaurant at Parnham was also installed without the appropriate planning permission, which has now been applied for retrospectively. Windsor Chorlton, 77, said: 'I don't understand why he bought the property in the first place without the means to actually do the restoration work he always intended to do. 'The 80 odd houses he is hoping to get permission to build on the land would be a blight. 'It's not a greenfield site – it's a historic parkland which should be protected in the same way that the house is protected.' The former writer and editor, who has lived in the town for 30 years, said: 'Parnham has always been there as part of the heritage not just of Beaminster but West Dorset. 'And it would change it completely. I don't actually think that the house itself will be rebuilt. I think it's beyond saving in any meaningful way. 'I think if it were rebuilt, it would be a faint shadow, a pastiche, of what was there before.' Lu Jones, 78, who has lived in the town for 20 years, said: 'This is a small town. It was a village, it's now a town. Are you going to make it a city? Where does it stop?' The retired therapist dreaded to think of the construction traffic too, as well as the higher number of cars locally: 'It would make this street ridiculous. I would move.' Mr Perkins at a local consultation meeting: 'I just thought, "You're not telling me the truth". I patted him on the shoulder and I said, "This will be your demise". 'It's not social housing, it's not for people who really need it locally or young families. It's a gated community for the elite.' Keith Grinton, 71, who has lived in Beaminster for his whole life, said he trusts in Mr Perkins to look after the land. But the retiree added: 'I wouldn't like to see any of the nature disturbed or anything. I used to go down there fishing and walking and everything.' Keith Grinton (pictured), 71, said he trusts in Mr Perkins to look after the land – but added: 'I wouldn't like to see any of the nature disturbed'  Several residents wished to remain anonymous for fear of attracting condemnation by speaking out – a sure sign of how charged the debate has become. One mother who lives locally said: 'In a climate emergency, to be so blase about paving over ecological networks… they're so important. 'It would be great if someone could save the house – but if there was a way to do it without increasing this climate anxiety of mums and children worried about their future…' Another resident commented: 'It's protected land, it's a national landscape, with a Grade II-listed deer park. Normally, no development would be allowed. 'The only exception is if you ask for enabling development so under any normal circumstances, nobody could touch it. 'Because he's very specifically gone for enabling development, that's why he's been allowed to apply which just seems to be a bit of a shame. It is so beautiful.' And a further local said: 'This has split the town. There is vitriol on social media about this. There is definitely a rift in the town. 'The majority are against it but there is definitely ill feeling in the town. People are wary of saying which side they're on.' When Parnham Park was approached for comment, project manager Mr Grant said: 'We've always tried to be very respectful and ask for everyone's opinions.  'A project of this scale was always going to be contentious – people are naturally resistant to change but we think this is change for the good.  'This is a unique planning policy that allows us to save these historic houses. We've always tried to hold meetings with the community and work to find the best possible solution.'  He said he regularly hosts tours of the house and gardens and has had around ten meetings with local councils, taking six years to determine the best solution.  'James and Sophie see themselves as caretakers of the building, and the land around it. They want to conserve and restore it,' he said.  'It doesn't harm the house. The land in question was only grazing land for a hundred years and was only used as an entrance from 2002. 'We will be reinstating the original entrance and driveway as part of the plans. The public benefits outweigh any potential costs and Historic England agrees. 'We will maintain control over the development and ensure it is eco-friendly, sustainable and an extension of the house. It will be beautiful.  'It will be an asset to Dorset. We want to do it in the right way so it is symbiotic with Parnham House and the area.'  Mr Grant pointed to community engagement, such as a food and wine festival last month, using local suppliers, which had around 3,000 guests, and tours the Perkinses hold of their large artistic collections.  He said: 'We've been talking to the National Trust – we hope this will be a case study of not how to just sustain historic buildings by putting a cafe in but to have everyone come and generate employment, tourism and investment for generations to come. 'It might even prove to be a solution for the 128 buildings on the heritage Buildings at Risk register.   'Unfortunately, there is a small minority of opponents with a loud voice. The people who are supportive show their support in other ways but the people who object shout loudly.  'You can't change them – perhaps they don't have an interest in historic houses, or they aren't aware of the lack of employment opportunities in the area. 'There are very few jobs locally, apart from the trades, which provide a career in the long run.  'We've had three apprenticeship schemes and one of our apprentices has gone on to become a project manager at another country house. It's beautiful to see happening.' In 2017, Parnham House which was then the home of Austrian financier Michael Treichl, burnt down, in a fire which took four days to put out, leaving only the facade intact He emphasised that the new development will restore the riverside walk and sewage concerns will be addressed with new two treatment plants, with the estate not using the mains at all: 'We are going to the nth degree to answer all the questions and still welcome them now.'  Mr Grant also said biodiversity net gain will be at 20 per cent – more than the required ten per cent – and any money gained from the development will be securely held by the council in escrow, only used for approved works on the main house as they are completed.  'It is a bugbear when we get objections that are not substantiated. We just want to talk about it and have balance. Historic England is fully supportive and we hope in the end all of our local community will be too,' he said.  'We believe we are doing the right thing, Historic England and our consultants believe we're doing the right thing and I hope Dorset Council will too.  'If people have concerns, I would encourage them to come to talk to us.'