Jeremy and Elaine Zielinski built a luxury home disguised as a commercial equine facility in Cambridgeshire, sparking a planning dispute that led to its demolition. The couple, now bankrupted, are relocating to Thailand.
A three-bedroom home that was supposed to be a stallion semen laboratory has been completely dismantled after a council ordered it to be torn down.
The million-pound property was built by Jeremy Zielinski, 75, and his wife Elaine, 80, who had been given permission for a two-storey commercial building to house the equine facility, with a small first-floor flat for staff. But while the outside of the property, set in 17 acres of land in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire, followed their planning application, the interior was converted into a well-appointed home with stunning feature windows overlooking the countryside.
When South Cambridgeshire District Council told them it had to be razed to the ground, the couple appealed to a planning inspector - who concluded it appeared to have been built as a house from the start and backed the decision. Rather than bring in a wrecking ball, the Zielinksis made a deal with a contractor to take the house apart bit by bit - cutting the costs slightly as he would be able to sell parts on.
The process began early last month and the salvageable parts of the house have been effectively flat-packed and taken away, leaving just the scaffolding behind and the skeleton of the original structure. As revealed exclusively by the Mail, Mr Zielinski remains bitter about the ruling, which he and his wife said cost them £1 million 'overnight'.
The financial blow means they can no longer afford to live in the UK and are relocating to Thailand after selling off the land and stables that remain. The three-bedroom property in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire, was supposed to be a two-storey commercial building to house a stallion semen collection centre and laboratory, with a small first floor flat for staff.
'Anyone who knows the situation - every single person I've spoken to - they all think it's absolutely ludicrous because the original planning permission was given for the physical building as it was,' Mr Zielinski said previously. 'They say 'The housing situation is desperate and they are making you pull down your home without recourse'.
We've got to sell our stables for a pittance to be able to buy somewhere to live but we couldn't afford anywhere in this country, so we're going to Thailand.
' Locals have been generally unsympathetic about their neighbours' self-imposed plight, however, with one woman in her 50s saying: 'They were given permission, they ignored the permission and it had to go. How can they say that was unfair?
' Another said: 'It was a pretty hard decision - the place did look all right on the outside. But if you let something like that go, where does it end?
' Support was offered by some, including David Hamper, 61, who said: 'He's flouted the rules to a certain extent and would admit to that but to have your neighbours saying 'pull it down' is a hard thing for him to see. ' The horse-mad couple bought a house with an outbuilding and the large plot of land for £100,000 in 1986.
In 2014, they were given planning permission by the district council for a countryside business with a reception area, office, kitchenette, laboratory space, staff changing room and toilet on the ground floor and two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms on the first floor. But planning inspector Chris Preston noted the property had a 'decidedly residential appearance', including a kitchen with island breakfast bar, domestic furnishings and appliances, a dining area, living room and home office.
Upstairs were two bedrooms, plus a 'lounge equipped with sofa and television'. Contractors began work on the property in 2017 and Mr and Mrs Zielinski - who had three children, although one tragically died in 2021 after taking the Covid vaccine - sold their own house two years later, moving into a static home. The couple believe a jealous neighbour informed on them, leading to planning officers visiting their home and the July 2023 enforcement notice.
In the submission to the Planning Inspectorate, they claimed lockdown wrecked their business plans for the clinic and they were forced to turn the property into their home, while continuing to run their commercial interests in their grounds. The order to pull down the entire building was over the top and would leave them without a roof over their heads, they added.
Mr Preston turned down their appeal, concluding it had been built as a house from the start, rather than converted from the approved lab and flat, and the couple had sold their own home and another plot of land with permission for a dwelling
Planning Permission Demolition Stallion Semen Laboratory Great Abington South Cambridgeshire District Council
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jeremy Fears Jr. has to decide between returning to Michigan State or entering the NBA DraftJeremy Fears Jr., a Michigan State guard, has to make a decision to either return to East Lansing or to keep his name in the NBA Draft. He has until 11:59 p.m. ET to officially withdraw his name from the draft process and keep his eligibility. ESPN's Jeremy Woo ranked him 47th overall to the Phoenix Suns, but several teams have also gotten private workouts from Fears. The hope for this offseason has been to put together a team that competes for a Final Four berth and/or a national championship. Fears leaving would essentially blow that up well before practices even begin. The stakes of Fears' direction on the program cannot really be understated.
Read more »
Jeremy Scott and Longchamp Celebrate 20 Years of CollaborationsJeremy Scott and Longchamp celebrated their 20 years of Le Pliage collaborations in SoHo with Emma Roberts, Zoey Deutch, Kate Mara, & Joan Smalls.
Read more »
Jeremy Scott Reflects on Viral AI Commencement SpeechFashion designer Jeremy Scott delivered the 2026 commencement speech for the Kansas City Art Institute about the importance of creativity in a world of AI.
Read more »
Longchamp toasts new collab bag with Jeremy ScottSpecial delivery! A drone flying overhead at last night’s Longchamp bash in Soho toted the new limited-edition “Greetings from New York City” Le Pliage travel bag to its designer, Jeremy Scott.…
Read more »