A hundred years ago Sandbanks was little more than a sand dune, housing a couple of coastguard cottages. Today this small peninsular jutting out from the Dorset coast has become one of the most expensive places to live in the world. A developers' paradise, it's a playground to the rich and famous which, with properties on the market for up to £12 million, has become known as Britain's answer to Monte Carlo.
Piers Morgan presents a new three-part documentary series exploring the extraordinary phenomenon that is Sandbanks - less than 5km of shoreline with a beach one side and a harbour the other - where a boom in the 1990s means only popstars, footballers and multi-millionaires can afford to buy the new super homes.
But despite the beautiful harbour adorned with million-pound yachts, it's not all plain sailing on Sandbanks. Some of the older and more traditional residents aren't in favour of the sudden influx of new money and redevelopment.
War veteran Jack Holsgrove paid £60,000 for his beach property 35 years ago and refuses to sell, despite the estate agents who turn up on his doorstep uninvited, with a promise of millions for his home.
"I am not selling. Where would I go to better this?" says Jack. "No way, what would I do with ten million? Not at any price. I wouldn't have time to spend it."
And Jack is not alone. Eddie Mitchell - the property developer responsible for innovative creations such as Thunderbird - a five-bedroom copper-roofed semi-circular dream home on the market for £3.25 million - is being met with ripples of resentment from some Sandbanks old timers, who are concerned about the pressure they say such development is putting on local amenities, as well as worries about it spoiling the area's original character.
In this first programme, Morgan lifts the lid on the Sandbanks phenomenon meeting the main players, including "The David Beckham of Sandbanks" - Portsmouth FC manager, Harry Redknapp. Harry shows Morgan around the £10 million sea front property he owns on what has become known as Sandbanks' millonaires' row.
Morgan also meets Sulley Montari (Portsmouth's £7 million signing), property developer Eddie Mitchell, Richard Carr, (a controversial local boy made good who's knocking down houses to make way for blocks of flats), Tom Doyle (the estate agent who's made so much money from the goldrush that he owns two Bentleys), and Terry Stewart (president of the local residents' association, who is leading the campaign against the redevelopment).
Hello all, I always knew Sandbanks was an expensive place to live but finding out its the 4th most expensive place in the World! and just 5 miles down the road from me!
January 16th - 0:35amTerry said...
Oh dear!!! - Did Piers ever actually get a map showing where Sandbanks was????? The 2 properties he featured by developer Eddie Mitchell are NOT even on Sandbanks??? The first, “Utopia” is in Lilliput - and the second “Thunderbirds” is in Branksome Park (and has actually been on the market for nearly 3 years rather than the 2 years mentioned)!!Neither of these properties are on Sandbanks Piers????? I guess that the programme may have given Mr Mitchell a nice bit of advertising though Piers (even if his properties aren't actually on Sandbanks)! Maybe a map is needed next time - and maybe you need to take a lesson in not being “taken in” by the developers???
Documentary
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