Estate King designed dubbed ‘characterless wasteland’ and ‘uncultured wet dream’

  • Bookmark

    • Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to the Daily Star’s newsletter

    We have more newsletters

    King Charles' Dorset housing development has been slammed as an "uncultured toff's wet dream" by disgruntled residents and visitors.

    Poundbury, an extension to the town of Dorchester, is the brainchild of the monarch and was designed according to ideas set out in his architecture book A Vision of Britain.

    "When I set out on this venture, I was determined that Poundbury would break the mould of conventional housing development in this country, and create an attractive place for people to live, work and play," Charles said of the development.

    READ MORE: Meghan 'not brave enough' to face Coronation so Harry 'will come to UK alone'

    "Many people said that it could never succeed but I am happy to say that the sceptics were wrong and it is now a thriving urban settlement alongside Dorchester."

    However, not everyone agrees with many of the area's as residents complain the houses are impractical and the area is "soulless".

    "Poundbury has about as much character as a scaffold plank," one disgruntled inhabitant wrote on TripAdvisor with the tile branding the area a "characterless wasteland".

    They added: "This is even more insulting when you realise people need affordable housing, Poundbury seems to be a soulless area with the atmosphere to match."

    • Camilla's 'improper' coronation plan for grandkids as Archie and Lilibet 'won't attend'

    Meanwhile a visitor chimed in: "Poundbury is the nostalgic wet-dream of an uncultured toff."

    They continued: "We visited last year, and laughed for the first few minutes, then felt increasingly depressed, then scarpered after an hour or so, desperate to escape the Stepford wives nightmare. It's truly horrible."

    Another inhabitant of the settlement said the King should be "ashamed" along with others involved over the houses' design.

    They said the Duchy, now King, and those involved made a "ridiculous insistence on wooden windows" and said "the Duchy for refusing to allow people on Poundbury to replace their windows with something better, should all be thoroughly ashamed of themselves".

    Not everyone was quite so scathing about the development, however – with some even praising the newly-built neighbourhood.

    "Even just the approach to the town, it looks very grand, easy to find on the outskirts of Dorchester. I can see Prince Charles' vision, and surprisingly, I like it," one visitor wrote.

    "The streets were clean, and almost car free, we did notice there weren't any markings on the roads which felt like walkways, it gave a time gone by feel to the town, matched only by the stunning architecture."

    Another, who called the property "delightful to visit", added: "Poundbury is flourishing. It is not only designed to look nice but it is designed to work in a modern world and to provide an environment people like.

    "The architectural style is taken from many of the best elements of the past, but the infrastructure beneath it is modern and it has been carefully planned with a view to sustainability."

    Construction on Poundbury began in 1993 after Charles took the lead on the planning of the new development, hoping to make his architectural ideals a reality.

    The development is expected to be finished in 2025 and will house about 5,800 people when it's completed.

    The area is designed according to the principles of New Urbanism, an architectural movement inspired by sustainability and promoting walkability with a wide range of housing and jobs.

    For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

    READ NEXT:

    • 'Strange bird noises in walls' turns out to be from stuffed Harry Potter toy

    • Met Office issues new weather warning as sub-zero ice breeze and heavy rain sweeps UK

    • Manhunt after McDonald's drive thru hit and run leaves woman with 'significant' injuries

    • 'American spy' stabbed in 'terror attack' near GCHQ headquarters as man arrested

    • King Charles III
    • Property
    • TripAdvisor

    Source: Read Full Article