A millionaire couple have lost their battle to rebuild a £4million riverside home after a planning inspector ruled the ultra-bright mansion would ruin the night sky in one of Britain's darkest locations.
Software boss Chris Hoyle and his wife Elaine had submitted plans to build the huge avant-garde property on the water's edge at the famous Beaulieu River.
The Hampshire river has one of the darkest skies in Britain according to official data and is afforded the 'highest status of protection' as it's within a National Park.
However under Mr and Mrs Hoyle's plans, the modern two-storey house would have a central glazed atrium and a 'very large' amount of artificial external lights.
The couple, who are moving into the area, faced a fierce backlash from locals after submitting their plans.
Furious sailors said the light would be so bright it would dazzle them.
Now a planning inspector has rejected the Hoyles' plans due to the 'sheer amount of lighting', saying that the light pollution would risk 'eroding rural darkness and tranquillity' at the celebrated site.
Beaulieu River in Hampshire's New Forest National Park is one of the few privately-owned waterways in the world and has a rich maritime history.
The Hoyles sold their driving simulation software business in a £23 million deal in 2019 and bought an existing property on a 1.6 acre plot on Beaulieu River.
They say the plot was not big enough and set out plans to tear down the large, white 1960s-built riverside property and rebuild their two-storey home with three wings, an atrium, and outbuildings.
Objectors to the plans came from the Beaulieu River Sailing Club's Commodore, The Hon Mary Montagu-Scott, who said it would be a 'safety hazard'.
The 57 year old said: "The darkness is absolutely critical to night vision for sailors who come up the river at night and any increase in light pollution from houses with large glazed windows and doors, especially lighting to paths, trees, drives, pavilions, flood lighting to tennis courts, gardens, buildings, glazed rooflights or domes etc are damaging to night vision and as such present a hazard to safe navigation.
"There are navigation lights to mark the main river channel to aid sailors, one of which is at (the house)... It is absolutely critical that these navigation lights cannot be confused with other nearby lights and also that 'night vision' to sailors is not eroded by other light pollution from houses.
"My interest is in protecting the nature, ambience and character of the Beaulieu River for future generations and protect the safety of the navigation for yachtsmen."
The Hoyles have had two applications refused, but took their latest application to an appeal committee. Now the planning committee has thrown it out.
An inspector report said 'the site has a notably verdant and tranquil character' and 'lies within one of the darkest locations according to the CPRE dark skies mapping information'.
It added the house would stand out in regards to 'the wider landscape and its impact upon the rural tranquillity and dark skies associated with the site'.
The report said: "The site is located at a particularly prominent position along the river, close to a sharp bend... It is clearly visible in views from the river.
"(The plans) would introduce a very large number of new external artificial lights onto the appeal site in association with the new roof terraces, stepped accesses, garden paths, outbuildings, pool and parking area, each of which would result in an element of light wash.
"This, in itself, comprises an urbanising impact upon the appeal site."
It added that the build would "detrimentally erode the tranquil nature of the appeal site, both through light pollution and noise pollution impacts."
Beaulieu River's ownership can be traced back to 1204, when King John was on the throne, and it has been in custodianship of the Montagu family for four centuries.
The river has a rich maritime history and proved hugely important during the Napoleonic wars, when it served as a key shipbuilding site and produced more than 50 wooden ships for the Royal Navy.
At Buckler's Hard on the river, Master Shipbuilder Henry Adams and his sons built ships which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 including Agamemnon, Euryalus and Swiftsure.
Lord Nelson famously declared HMS Agamemnon, nicknamed 'Eggs and Bacon', his favourite ever ship.
