Homeowners on 'England's prettiest street' fume at Turkish neighbours over fresh 'warzone' renovation plans

George Bunn
Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:16:53 +0000

Residents on "England's prettiest street" have slammed their neighbours over renovation plans which have left the Gloucestershire village looking like a "warzone".

Metin Dener and his wife Gulbin are seeking permission to construct a substantial outdoor fireplace and subterranean car park at their Grade II-listed cottage in the Cotswolds village of Bibury.

The development plans have been slammed by frustrated residents, who had previously hoped the extensive building work was nearing completion.

Their chocolate-box cottage sits on a street where properties typically fetch around £1.5million, as the village was described as the "most beautiful in the world" by Forbes last year.

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A "part retrospective" planning application is currently under consideration by Cotswold District Council, with objections already flooding in from concerned locals.

Bibury Parish Council has lodged a formal objection to the application, arguing the fireplace is oversized and incompatible with its historic setting.

"The fireplace is huge, not in keeping with its surroundings, especially as curtilage on a very important Grade 2 historic cottage," the council stated in its submission.

Officials noted the structure is visible from multiple vantage points and alters the area's historic character.

The council expressed "serious concerns about the care and competency of the site advisors/architects allowing such construction to take place on this historically sensitive site without seeking planning permission".

They have requested more frequent monitoring of the entire site by planning officers, opposed to assessment of individual projects in isolation.

Residents living on the street voiced their exasperation this week about the seemingly endless construction.

"Nobody's very happy about it. There's somebody actually living there now," one local said.

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The neighbour added: "It will be three years in July. It was a tiny Cotswolds cottage and now look. It's become a monstrosity."

Despite hopes the work might conclude, residents remain pessimistic about the situation.

"Hopefully there's not more building work to come but they don't seem to be stopping<" one said. "We have said everything there is to say."

The renovation project, which commenced in 2023, has been condemned by some as "cultural vandalism" and is believed to have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Previous applications have included proposals for an oak conservatory and stone summerhouse, both withdrawn in January.

The Deners' representatives have pushed back against accusations that the site has been overdeveloped.

They stated approved works have resulted in only a 1.2 square metre increase to the property's footprint, along with the replacement of an existing above-ground garage with an underground alternative.

"All other works have been repairs to existing retaining walls and landscape works related to the removal and repair of failing walls on site. It is certainly not the case that the site has been 'overdeveloped'," their statement read.

The statement continued: "Due to the narrow access road and high level of tourists in the village, the works on this site have had to progress at a slow pace, as vehicle access has been relatively limited compared to most building sites and works on a steeply sloping site are complex.

"The contractors on this site have tried to inform residents of deliveries and material removals where possible; however, communication has not always been possible to be maintained."

They acknowledged that communication with residents about deliveries had not always been maintained, conceding this causes frustration but noting construction methods fall outside planning control.

The couple purchased the cottage for £1.1million in 2022, with renovation work beginning the following year.