Artist faces backlash over plan to build seaside home covered in doodles
Residents and the local council have raised objections to the plan over concerns for wildlife and the appropriateness of the design for the area.
An artist known as Mr Doodle is facing a backlash in a planning bid to build a bungalow covered in his designs on the Kent coast.
Doodler Sam Cox, from Tenterden, Kent, is seeking to replace an existing home with the unique three-bedroom structure incorporating existing railway carriages and laser-cut doodles on the exterior in Dungeness.
But residents have blasted the proposal as a “vanity project” with no artistic inspiration or “spiritual understanding” of the beach location dubbed as “Britain’s only desert”.
Another likened the plans to the “Disneyfication” of Dungeness, adding: “Yes, there is a tradition of artists making their mark on the beach, personalising their homes with flotsam and jetsam, as part of an organic process that comes of this landscape, of its haphazard growth and rusting past.
“The proposal, in contrast, is an explicit, very public statement of the artist’s aesthetic which has no connection to place.”
Concerns were also raised about wildlife within the area’s site of special scientific interest (SSSI), with one objector suggesting curious animals could get stuck and injured in the metal artwork.
Lydd Town Council also voted against the plan citing concerns that “the metal facade would not be in keeping with the historical value of Dungeness as it is SSSI and could possibly impact the historical and environmental value to the area of Dungeness.”
But architects Holloway Studios, which has submitted designs on behalf of Mr Cox, said the replacement house “embodies a thoughtful response to its context”.
A design and access statement read: “The rustication of the facade panels draws upon the influence of rusting structures and objects scattered across the Dungeness coastline.
“We believe that this design will enrich the architectural fabric of Dungeness while providing a comfortable and environmentally responsible living space for its occupants.”
Architect Guy Holloway, who designed the home with Mr Cox, also defended the plans, adding that the doodles will be “visually subtle” and a similar size to the artist’s other Dungeness home which has had no problems with wildlife being trapped, according to The Times newspaper.
The plans also said the exposed railway carriages celebrate the heritage of the site and include solar panels and a biodiverse garden for the site’s special ecosystem.
One supporter of the plans wrote the removal of the existing home was welcomed, adding: “This proposal is a much higher quality design and makes some innovative attempts to fit into this very sensitive and visible site.”
Another added of the planning application: “Despite the quirky nature of the elevations using laser cut, rusted steel cladding, it does provide a reference to the various metal objects which are part of the Dungeness landscape.”
The plans will be discussed at Folkestone and Hythe District Council planning committee meeting on Tuesday.
