Skip to content

David Coulthard warned over house plans

News imageGetty Images A man with short grey hair walks outdoors in a paved area, wearing a white T-shirt under a dark jacket and trousers. He has a lanyard around his neck, holds a phone in one hand, and has glasses hanging from his shirt, with equipment and greenery visible in the background.Getty Images
David Coulthard has carried out building work at Barwhinnock House near Twynholm

Former racing driver David Coulthard has been warned he could face legal action over work carried out at his Scottish mansion.

The 55-year-old was granted planning permission in 2022 to convert steadings at Barwhinnock House near Twynholm in Kirkcudbrightshire into a three-bedroom house.

Dumfries and Galloway Council's planning enforcement team have now said these were not carried out "in compliance with the consent approved" and "the design and materials differed" to agreed plans.

Coulthard's agent, Lindsey Evans, of Evans Rural Architecture, said she couldn't see any "inaccuracies" in the drawings.

A fresh, retrospective planning application was submitted last year but officials said the information provided "was inaccurate and did not fully reflect the development undertaken on site".

A further application was lodged last month but has also been rejected.

In an email to the council, Evans wrote: "This seems ridiculous. Of course, the client wishes to submit accurate drawings and does not wish to amend the as-built structure.

"I cannot find the discrepancy and the simplest solution would be for you to point this out so it can be remedied immediately. Why is this not possible?"

But council planner Iona Brooke told the architect: "The onus is on the applicant/ agent to submit accurate drawings. It is not within the remit of the planning authority to highlight discrepancies."

She added that if Coulthard did not "wish to submit accurate drawings" the council would "move to refusal".

"As it stands the works do not benefit from consent as they are not in accordance with the drawings and are, therefore, potentially liable for enforcement action," she added.

Coulthard, who grew up in the area but now spends most of his time in Monaco, was previously given permission to convert a former mill on the 85-acre estate into a storage building for his private car collection.

In recent months he has also been given the green light to construct a floodlit padel court and two sets of security gates at the A-listed regency-style seven-bedroom mansion, which was built in 1830.