From the outside, the tiny village of Ebrington is just like any other sleepy Cotswold idyll.
Thatched roof cottages line the winding country lanes and the milk man still does his rounds the old fashioned way.
But looks can be deceiving.
In the past 18-months the once-close knit community, which has a population of just 570 people, has been plunged into a civil war which has seen bitter name-calling, fiery arguments and even claims of physical harassment.
At the centre of the storm is Tony O’Sullivan, 53, the wealthy owner of £3.4million mansion in the village, who after moving in just under two years ago is already embroiled in a bitter planning row with his council and his neighbours.
Problems arose when Mr O’Sullivan revealed plans to install a sprawling luxury pool house at his country estate.
Proposals included a 28ft swimming pool, gym, sauna, steam room and changing facilities.
But neighbours were up in arms and claimed the new facility would harm their views and work on it would what cause chaos.
One resident told the Daily Mail: ‘Tony is a point of discussion in the village. Many people think he’s completely thoughtless and very self-centred. It’s a massive shame for our community.’
From the outside, the tiny village of Ebrington is just like any other sleepy Cotswold idyll
However an ungodly row involving a multi-millionaire’s new pool house has put the village on the brink of civil war
Mr O’Sullivan bought his mansion for £3.4million and has plans to build a pool house
However his plans have been criticised by the parish council and his neighbours
The neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, added: ‘No-one seems to know what he does for a living or where his money comes from.
‘All we are told is that he has worked very hard for it. People whose houses back onto his land will be directly affected by this pool house.
‘It seems excessive and I’m unsure on why they would need that much space.
‘He recently had a birthday party for his girlfriend and they had an outrageous laser light show that lit up the sky all night, extremely loud fireworks and a DJ that went on into the night.
‘He seems like an incredibly entitled individual and it’s such a shame for such a lovely village.’
Mr O’Sullivan appears to have made his wealth through haulage and heavy plant businesses registered in Romford, Essex, according to Companies House records.
Trucks bearing the name of one of those companies, 72 Group Ltd, are seen meandering through the tight Ebrington lanes daily, according to locals.
When the Mail visited the village this week, tensions between neighbours were running high, stemming from an alleged alercation, which it is understood the police have investigated.
When the Mail visited the village this week, tensions were as high as they had ever been
Several months ago, it is claimed Mr O’Sullivan further antagonised locals when he threw a noisy 30th birthday party for his girlfriend – with neighbours saying the lights disrupted the night sky
Locals claim the clash was between Mr O’Sullivan and a female neighbour during one of the now numerous verbal confrontations over the plans.
The alleged incident has landed haulage tycoon Mr O’Sullivan in court on a harassment charge.
It is understood Mr O’Sullivan denies the allegation and has elected to be tried by a jury at crown court.
One local told the Mail: ‘From the outset, after he bought his property here about 18 months ago, he has gone out of his way to alienate everyone living here.
‘It would be fair to say that Mr O’Sullivan is not well-liked here.
‘He has destroyed the peace and tranquility of the village with his continued development of his property.
‘We’ve had to put up with his lorries thundering through the village to deliver building materials and the noise of building work and traffic is constant.
‘Now he wants to build a monstrous pool house which thankfully the parish council has objected to after numerous complaints from villagers.
‘He’s been busy buying up all the land around him and he’s had almost a mile of cotswold stone walling built around everything he owns.
‘He’s got these huge solid oak double gates at the entrance to his own driveway with anti-ram raid rising bollards in front of them. He has to electronically lower them to get through the gates.
‘It makes you wonder who he’s so scared of.’
Locals claim that Mr O’Sullivan has installed huge oak gates to keep everyone in the village away
The businessman has a huge collection of sports cars which locals claim he ‘races through the village’
Several months ago, it is claimed Mr O’Sullivan further antagonised locals when he threw a noisy 30th birthday party for his girlfriend, Amber Coady.
The bash featured a laser display in the night sky and DJs pumping out music into the early hours.
One local commented at the time on the community Facebook page: ‘What a racket last night. I thought I was back in Ibiza.’
And other neighbours claim that even when the couple aren’t throwing parties their business activities, specifically a large number of haulage trucks, frustrate village life on the daily.
One revealed: ‘They bomb through the village every day, presumably delivering his latest building materials for his estate. These roads weren’t designed for this kind of vehicle.
‘We have people walking, cycling, or on horseback using the lanes and these trucks are a menace.’
When the Mail attempted to contact Mr O’Sullivan via an intercom at his secured double gates, our reporter was told he was on holiday.
Mr O’Sullivan is said to highly value his privacy and intends to push his plans through
A source close to the family later told the Mail: ‘Mr O’Sullivan is highly unlikely to make any comment to the media about his private life because he is a very private person.’
Parish councillors had previously warned the effect after dark of the new pool house would have a dramatic impact on dark skies – a prized and protected feature of the Cotswolds landscape.
Submitting a picture of alleged existing light pollution from Longmoor House, they said: ‘Ebrington Parish Council do not consider that the large areas of…glazing proposed are sympathetic to the site and its surroundings.
‘Combined with four conservation style rooflights the light pollution will be very significant and harmful to wildlife.’
In a lengthy refusal report, Cotswold planning officials concluded that light glow from the proposed pool house ‘would fail to conserve and enhance the character or special qualities of the landscape’.
The council said: ‘The Cotswolds National Landscape (CNL) has a significant and extensive area of naturally dark night skies and remains an area where the wonders of the night sky can be enjoyed as an integral part of its natural beauty’.
It ruled that the extensive glazing and metal roof gave the structure an ‘industrial or commercial’ appearance, rather than the traditional Cotswold style.
They warned the development would result in ‘additional suburbanisation of the landscape’ and the gradual erosion of the area’s rural character – a problem planners say is increasingly evident across the Cotswolds as large homes accumulate gyms, pools and leisure buildings.
Mr O’Sullivan appealed the refusal, insisting the scheme had been misunderstood.
Agents acting on his behalf argued that the pool house was not oversized and was a ‘simple pool house designed to reflect the form of an agricultural building’.
He also rejected claims of suburbanisation, arguing the building sat within the existing garden and followed the same location as the previously approved pool.
His agents said: ‘The building is for a simple pool house designed to reflect the form of an agricultural building.
‘In addition, the proposed location, size, and orientation of the swimming pool building have been carefully selected to ensure that the development integrates well within the property’s existing domestic curtilage.
‘This approach is consistent with the previous planning permission, which permitted a swimming pool and pool house in this location.’
The appeal has yet to be decided.
