Moment Sandbanks millionaire demolishes 'world's most expensive bungalow' he bought for £13.5m as he insists he WON'T flip new replacement home for profit

By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and ED HOLT Published: 13:19, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 13:25, 19 June 2026 This is the moment a millionaire bulldozed the 'world's most expensive bungalow' - making way for his new eco home. Tom Glanfield bought the rundown, rat-infested, property on Dorset's Sandbanks resort - described as a millionaire's row - in March 2023 for a record £13.5 million. The 48-year-old had plans to knock down the 120-year-old Edwardian cottage and replace it with a modern family eco-home. But planners initially recommended his application be refused on the basis that it would cause 'significant harm' to the Sandbanks Conservation Area. After two long years of negotiations, Mr Glanfield was finally given the green light to demolish the property in July 2025, and demolition took place over two weeks last month. The building has now been completely flattened to make the foundations for the new house. Mr Glanfield said: 'It's such a relief to have it demolished finally, and it's really cool because we recycled the old house by crushing it up and turning it into the foundations of the new house. 'Everybody keeps asking me if I miss my old house, but it never actually left the property. Tom Glanfield, 48, bought the rundown, rat-infested property on Dorset's Sandbanks resort - described as a millionaire's row - in March 2023 for a record £13.5 million Mr Glanfield demolishing the bungalow. The 48-year-old had plans to knock down the 120-year-old Edwardian cottage and replace it with a modern family eco-home 'It's quite nostalgic that the old house is being used to make the new one. 'I'm really excited to get it started and make something that Poole can be proud of.' As its name suggests, Sandbanks is a sandy peninsula, and so 80 steel piles will be driven 15 metres into the ground to support the new two-storey house. A 150m long sea 'living' wall that will help defend the north west corner of Sandbanks from erosion will also be built at 'great expense' to the self-made millionaire, which he previously said he 'won't even see that from the property - it's all for public benefit.' When finished, the property will have an enormous open-plan kitchen and dining area, a double height lounge, home office, entertainment bar and entertainment area, wine store and boot room. On the first floor, there will be five bedrooms, including a huge master suite with a raised jacuzzi bath with sea views, dressing room, seating area and its own balcony. The carbon-neutral property will also have a cinema room, gym and shower room. Outside there will be an upper terrace and patio and an undercover patio and a lawn which will run down to the water's edge. The Grand Designs-style project will take another two years to complete. After two long years of negotiations, Mr Glanfield was finally given the green light to demolish the property in July 2025, and demolition took place over two weeks last month Demolition taking place at the property. In its place Mr Glanfield will build a carbon-neutral property which will also have a cinema room, gym and shower room Mr Glanfield with construction workers on Sandbanks. The new property will take about two years to build  In a planning meeting in July 2025, the self-made millionaire and father insisted he was 'not a property developer' and was not 'flipping [the bungalow] for profit'. He added: 'I am very much a family man who is trying to make a family home. I will probably die in that home'. Mr Glanfield said the rundown bungalow had a leaking roof, mould, and mildew, and plans to turn his new house into a sustainable two-storey family eco home. The new-build, the entrepreneur says, will be complete with renewable power and a desalination facility - and will see the sea wall, which is currently 'unsafe', 'unsightly', and crumbling, enhanced and restructured. He said: 'My dream is to build a family home that will not only retain the modest beauty of the plot but will also stand the test of time.' Mr Glanfield received significant backing for his proposal from the local community - with 38 letters of support submitted to the council. Among those was one from neighbour Ros Smart, who labelled the plans as an 'outstandingly innovative design for an iconic site'. She continued: 'The modern sleek appearance is entirely in keeping with houses in the surrounding area and is totally suitable for the conservation area.' Mr Glanfield said the rundown bungalow had a leaking roof, mould, and mildew, and plans to turn his new house into a sustainable two-storey family eco home Others agreed that the design was 'sympathetic' to the location - describing the 'modern sleek appearance' as 'entirely in keeping with houses in the surrounding area'. Planners, however, argued that the proposal should be refused on 'conservation grounds' - and said alternative options 'involving the retention of the cottage' could have been explored. Planning officer Babatunde Aregbesola told the planning meeting that the existing building was considered very important to the Sandbanks Conservation Area (CA) given its age, which he described as 'very early Edwardian, one of the oldest in the area'. He said: 'The proposal by reason of the demolition of the existing cottage would result in the total loss of the non-designated heritage asset causing significant harm and failing to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Sandbanks Conservation Area.' Mr Aregbesola also argued that the benefits proposed by Mr Glanfield do not outweigh the harm. He said: 'The applicant, via legal representation, identifies the following public benefits: visual and environmental enhancements from a proposed sea wall and landscaping; design choices including use of local materials and a sedum roof; and improved energy efficiency (F to A rated). 'But while the scheme would deliver a more energy efficient home and some economic activity, it would replace an existing, habitable dwelling and would not increase housing supply. 'The reduced flood risk benefits are private in nature. These benefits are modest and do not outweigh the identified heritage harm.' Mr Aregbesola stressed that the proposals would 'harm the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and its significance'. He concluded: 'The development conflicts with the relevant policies and lacks sufficient public benefit to justify the harm. 'The application should therefore be refused.' But Mr Glanfield managed to convey his side of the story to the council. Following Mr Glanfield's speech, one councillor told the meeting: 'The house itself as it stands is not particularly special, charming or dynamic. It's just an ordinary house. 'But what is being proposed is a special, ecologically designed property that is going to enhance the area and make a huge difference to what the Conservation Area looks like. 'I can't support the officer's recommendation [to refuse the application].' Another said: 'I'm struggling to see how this is a heritage asset. Let these people build the home they want and have a positive impact on the surrounding area.' Mr Glanfield is working on the development with local architect firms Marlow and Arc and award-winning landscape designer Andy Sturgeon. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. 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