Omaze House Winners to Finally Receive £6m Mansion After Planning Dispute Ends

After months of uncertainty and headlines, the winners of a £6 million dream mansion in Blakeney can finally claim their prize. The long-running planning dispute surrounding the luxury home — raffled off earlier this year by fundraising platform Omaze — has been resolved after North Norfolk District Council granted retrospective planning permission for several unauthorized developments on the property.

The decision, reached by a 10–2 vote during a tense council meeting on Thursday, clears the way for Omaze to officially hand over the keys to Larkfields, a sprawling coastal home that became the center of a legal and bureaucratic wrangle.

The Dream Home That Sparked a Planning Nightmare

The saga began when Omaze, known for its celebrity-endorsed charity prize draws, offered Larkfields as the grand prize in partnership with Comic Relief. The raffle raised more than £4 million for the charity, and the eventual winner, Vicky Curtis-Cresswell, described her victory as “pure joy.”

Curtis-Cresswell, a former Miss Wales finalist originally from South Wales, and her husband Dale had been living with her in-laws while searching for a family home. When she discovered she had won the grand prize, she told reporters, “It felt like all my dreams had come true at once.”

However, the fairytale soon took a complicated turn. Local authorities discovered that several parts of the luxury property — including its swimming pool, tennis court, summer house, and a four-bay garage — had been constructed without formal planning consent.

While planning permission for the main house had been granted in 2020, these additional structures breached the original conditions, triggering a backlash from the local parish council and community groups who accused the developers of ignoring local conservation rules.

Heated Council Debate Over Retrospective Approval

Thursday’s planning committee meeting at North Norfolk District Council proved to be the decisive moment. The application, submitted retrospectively by Omaze, sought to regularize the unauthorized works.

Rosemary Thew, chairwoman of Blakeney Parish Council, urged councillors to reject the application to “send a clear message that planning processes must be adhered to.”

She told the chamber:

“The development breaches the original conditions of the authority, particularly the stipulation that no enlargement or alteration should be undertaken. Larkfields has increased considerably in size and scale. I hope the committee will share our concern and ensure that others do not follow these unfortunate examples.”

Thew argued that the new additions failed to meet the conservation principles that protect the village’s character and landscape, citing worries about light pollution and the precedent it could set for future developments in the area.

Despite the strong objections, planning officers concluded that the extensions and additional features met local planning policies and did not significantly affect the surrounding environment.

One councillor, Angie Fitch-Tillett, admitted the decision was difficult but ultimately unavoidable:

“I understand the concerns, but it does not intrude on the landscape. We have the officer’s advice, and they appear to have covered every angle. I think we are all nervous about this one, but I will propose that this is accepted.”

Committee chairman Paul Heinrich echoed that sentiment, reminding councillors that the retrospective nature of the application was “irrelevant” to the planning decision.

“There are no policy reasons why this should be rejected,” he said, effectively bringing the months-long impasse to an end.

Omaze “Delighted” as Transfer Moves Ahead

Following the council’s ruling, Omaze issued a statement expressing relief and gratitude for what it called “a positive conclusion.”

The company said:

“Omaze has worked closely with North Norfolk District Council throughout this process to reach this positive conclusion. We are delighted that the application has been approved and will now continue to liaise with the winner, who has already received their £250,000 cash prize, to finalise conveyancing and arrange the transfer of the property as soon as possible.”

According to Omaze, the transfer had been on hold pending the council’s decision, though Vicky Curtis-Cresswell had already received the accompanying cash prize. The company’s legal team is now completing the final paperwork so the couple can officially take ownership.

Curtis-Cresswell has stated publicly that she intends to sell the property and relocate to Wales with her family, using the proceeds to buy a permanent home closer to her roots.

The Community Divide in Blakeney

While the council’s decision resolves the immediate legal issue, the affair has left lingering tensions within the small coastal community.

Blakeney, known for its picturesque salt marshes and traditional Norfolk architecture, is part of a protected conservation area. Many residents had expressed frustration that a high-profile property linked to a national charity raffle could sidestep the strict local planning rules that apply to everyone else.

Parish council members argued that the situation set “a worrying precedent,” suggesting that large companies or developers might feel emboldened to seek forgiveness after the fact rather than permission beforehand.

Others, however, welcomed the outcome, noting that the additions — while unauthorized — had not caused environmental harm or altered the village’s aesthetic integrity.

Local councillor Fitch-Tillett summed up the delicate balance at play: “We have to be pragmatic. It’s not ideal that the work went ahead without consent, but our decision must reflect the reality that the development complies with planning policy.”

A Lesson in Luxury and Local Law

The Larkfields case underscores a growing tension between high-value property raffles and local planning frameworks. Omaze’s charity campaigns have generated millions for good causes, but they also bring intense scrutiny — especially when the winning homes sit within conservation zones or strict planning areas.

For the winners, the ordeal has been an emotional rollercoaster. What began as a once-in-a-lifetime windfall turned into a legal waiting game that lasted months. But with the council’s green light, the couple’s dream of finally stepping through the doors of their £6 million prize home appears within reach.

As the autumn sun sets over Blakeney’s coastal horizon, Larkfields stands as both a symbol of good fortune and a cautionary tale about the fine print of luxury living.

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