Landlords Wanted
The Hon Edward Iliffe bought Green Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, for £2.5m in 2005, but the cedar chalet burnt down in April 2012 just before it was finished ….
An aristocrat won a seven-figure damages claim against a building company on Monday after his £4 million island eco-home burnt down. The Hon Edward Iliffe, 45, bought Green Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, for £2.5 million in 2005 and planned to turn it into a retreat for his family. However, his cedar chalet burnt down in April 2012 just before it was finished. Mr Iliffe, a great-grandson of Lord Iliffe, the newspaper magnate, took legal action against Feltham Construction Ltd, which was involved in building the solar-panelled property, and demanded £3.5 million in damages.
A High Court judge ruled that Feltham was indirectly responsible for the defective installation of a log burner or flue that caused the blaze, and ordered the company to pay compensation. Mr Justice Jeremy Stuart-Smith said the six-bedroom home was in the final phase of construction, which included the fitting of a log-burning stove and stainless steel flue when the fire started.
The log burner had been in use for only two weeks, including when the Iliffe family, who live in Newbury, Berks, stayed at the chalet over Easter 2012, when an electrical contractor reported hearing “funny cracking noises”. The blaze was discovered in the roof space at about 7am on April 20. Forty-five firemen were ferried to the island and used seawater to try to douse the flames, but the house was “largely destroyed”, the judge said. Mr Iliffe and his wife. Teleri, 49, and their three children, Alys, 17, Henry, 14, and Victoria, 12, said they were heartbroken by the destruction of what they had hoped would be a Swallows and Amazons-style retreat.
A forensic fire expert appointed by the family said the fire probably started “within the roof construction and specifically in that part of the roof close to the chimney”. His “strong view” was that combustible materials were closer to the chimney than the 50mm distance required, adding: “On the balance of probability, the cause of the fire was the failure to comply with building regulations when installing the flue.”
Feltham, which oversaw much of the building’s development, denied that the assembly of the chimney was to blame. It also disputed claims that the fire originated in the roof space and the value of the family’s £3.5 million damages claim. Feltham said the flue and log burner were installed by a subcontractor with whom it only placed an order on Mr Iliffe’s behalf. The company also argued it oversaw the last phase of the works without a proper contract.
On the cause of the fire, Mr Justice Stuart-Smith said that, as it had never been suggested that the log burner or chimney were inadequately designed, the Iliffes’ case that installation flaws caused the fire was “overwhelming”. He added: “There is no realistic prospect of any other explanation or cause being established.” The exact value of the damages has yet to be assessed.