Angry builder puts gargoyle of council chief on home as planning row turns ugly

Stewart Palmen, leader of Trowbridge Town Council, said he was flattered by the gargoyle

An angry builder has been accused of having a ‘vendetta’ after erecting a giant stone gargoyle resembling a town councillor as a bitter planning row turned ugly.

Michael Thomas, 71, was angered after his plan to convert an old pizzeria into a three-storey, seven-bedroom home was rejected by leaders at Trowbridge Town Council, in Wiltshire.

Cllr Stewart Palmen objected to the project and put an enforcement notice in place to halt the project, prompting fury from Mr Thomas who had planned to covert the property into a house of multiple occupation (HMO).

Left raging at the council’s ruling, Mr Thomas seemingly sought revenge by placing a stone figure of Cllr Palmen, which shows him sporting half-moon spectacles and sticking his tongue out, onto his roof for the whole town to see.

Cllr Palmen, 61, says he was “flattered” by the gargoyle which appeared on the building last week. He said: “It’s just been quite amusing. He just started constructing [the HMO] without any planning permission in 2020.

“I reported him to enforcement and in the end, he applied, and it was refused along with his appeals.

Councillor Stewart Palmen (Tom Wren SWNS)

“He’s taken it quite personally and believes the council have dobbed him in.

“He seems to have a vendetta against myself – but I quite like the gargoyle and would love for it to stay.

“I don’t have an issue with it but there is a serious side to it, there’s a court date on the fact he hasn’t returned the building to what it was.”

Mr Thomas wanted to convert the old pizza takeaway into a three-storey, seven-bedroom, house in multiple occupation (HMO). But that was rejected. He then found himself at the centre of legal action from Wiltshire Council after he continued building work on the Newtown property despite an enforcement notice.

A message accommpanying the gargoyle (Tom Wren/SWNS)

After being issued a temporary stop notice on the project, Mr Thomas vowed to complete the conversion.

Following objections from Cllr Palmen and local residents, the stop notice was superseded by an enforcement notice in September 2020.

He then applied for planning permission which was refused by Wiltshire Council in June 2022.

The council refused the project saying it “detracts from the character and appearance of the area”.

In May this year, an inspector upheld the council’s decision after Mr Thomas launched yet another appeal.

In retaliation, Mr Thomas launched a protest against the council by attaching a banner to the scaffolding around the property.

The home in Trowbridge where the gargoyle is installed (Tom Wren SWNS)

The banner read: “Wiltshire council invests time and energy in green field developments and long developers outside and around Trowbridge at a profit while actively hindering small building developers trying to fill a need for accommodation for those who do not qualify for the more expensive out of town accommodation.”

The building itself is not listed but is located in a conservation area.

In June Mr Thomas said he was even willing to go to prison over the dispute. He fumed: “They don’t follow the rules, they make them up as they go along.

“If council officers are not following the rules, why should I?

“I am going to carry on building against their order and allow them to take me to court.

“I am not afraid of going to jail, I have been jailed twice before and I’m told that these days they have toilets and televisions so I don’t think that it will be a hardship.”

Mr Thomas has been ordered to attend Swindon Magistrates’ Court on October 27 to face a charge of failing to comply with the enforcement notice.