EXCLUSIVE Jigsaw fashion tycoon at war with neighbours over noisy weddings at his £12m Cotswold estate: Fed up locals say their lives are being made misery by rowdy guests, loud music and traffic gridlock
A clothing tycoon who rents out his £12million Cotswold estate for lavish society weddings is locked in a bitter feud with locals.
A clothing tycoon who rents out his £12million Cotswold estate for lavish society weddings is locked in a bitter feud with locals.
John Robinson, the multi-millionaire founder of luxury fashion chain Jigsaw, charges his well-heeled clientele £30,000 to host wedding receptions at Euridge Manor, a Georgian mansion set in 450 acres of land in Colerne, Wiltshire.
Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson is among those who have enjoyed a fairytale wedding in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds, marrying her rugby player boyfriend Will Owen at Euridge Manor in July 2022.
But locals say they are fed up of out-of-towners bringing chaos to their doorsteps, with many claiming there are at least two weddings a week.
One neighbour told MailOnline it was like having a disco in the back garden, while others fumed their lives are being ruined by rowdy guests and the mass influx of cars descending on the villages narrow country lanes.
Mr Robinson, who played a key role in Prince William and Kates love story and is a close friend of the Middleton family, has also been locked in a bitter planning battle with Wiltshire Council over permission to host huge weddings at his manor house.
As the fashion mogul fights to keep hosting events, residents at breaking point say some locals may be forced to stage protests outside his estate on wedding days - or even look to sell up and escape the noisy neighbourhood.
Although weddings have been hosted at the manor since 2015, a planning application to hold events was only retrospectively submitted in 2021, which the council denied in May 2022.
John Robinson, the multi-millionaire founder of luxury fashion chain Jigsaw, charges his well-heeled clientele £30,000 to host wedding receptions at Euridge Manor. Pictured: John Robinson and his now ex-wife Belle
Euridge Manor is at the centre of a bitter row between its fashion-mogul owner, John Robinson, and neighbours who are furious about the noisy weddings
Cyclists say they have been knocked off their bikes by wedding guests hurtling along the winding lanes nearby and horse riders complain the vehicles pass too close to their animals. Pictured: A narrow country lane near Euridge Manor
Three months later, Euridge were served with an enforcement notice against hosting unlawful wedding events, prompting an appeal.
Its understood Euridge Manor lodged a second planning application in September 2022 that also included plans for a new access road. It went over the statutory period for determination, leaving it undecided.
That has now also been appealed alongside the enforcement notice.
Euridge Manor say the matter has been the subject of a 10 day inquiry and a decision from an independent planning officer is likely within a couple of months.
Furious neighbours, many of whom expressed their objections to his lucrative wedding business, are on tenterhooks as they too await the outcome of his barrister-led appeal.
They have complained about the noise and obscene language emanating from the venue and the extra traffic the weddings generate along the narrow country lanes surrounding the property.
Cyclists say they have been knocked off their bikes by wedding guests hurtling along the winding lanes nearby and horse riders complain the vehicles pass too close to their animals.
Retired Ministry of Defence marine engineer Mike Rogers, 80, bought his semi-detached home near Euridge Manor more than 30 years ago because he wanted somewhere peaceful to live.
But when Mr Robinson began throwing wedding parties seven years ago, his peace was shattered.
When theres a wedding on, the traffic running down these lanes is constant, said Mr Rogers.
Its not just the wedding guests cars, the staff cars and the endless taxis, its also the vans bringing in the food, the sound systems, the flowers, the toilets, and everything else they need up there at the Manor.
Gardener Jax Ward (pictured), 72, said the weddings at Euridge Manor should stop immediately
The influx of traffic for weddings has caused huge issues with congestion near Euridge Manor (pictured: a coach near the venue)
Locals say Euridge Manor (pictured) hosts two huge weddings each week
As the fashion mogul fights to keep hosting events, residents at breaking point say some locals may be forced to stage protests outside his estate on wedding days
And its not just on the day of the wedding. Its six days a week. They hold weddings every Saturday and Wednesday, then theres the preparation the day before and the taking down the day after. It works out that the only day we get without hundreds of vehicles hurtling past our front door is Monday.
The rest of the week we just stay at home because its pointless trying to drive anywhere. The lanes are so narrow and there are very few passing points, so it can take an hour to go less than a mile.
It used to be so peaceful here before he started holding weddings there. Now its made our lives and utter misery.
The worst times are around two or three oclock in the morning when they leave. The noise and the lights wake us up every time, then we cant get back to sleep.
The irony is that he advertises his Euridge Manor as a peaceful countryside setting. I certainly dont feel like Im getting much peace.
I appreciate hes a businessman and needs to earn money but at his age, how much money does he need? Surely the feelings of the community deserve to be taken into account.
Local gardener Jax Ward, 72, said the weddings at Euridge Manor should stop immediately.
He knows full well that no-one around here wants these weddings but he just doesnt care, she said.
Neighbours have threatened protests, while others have contemplated selling up and escaping
When he first moved here, he made it known that he wanted to be part of the community and get involved with us. If someone from the village had a birthday, hed invite them to the manor house and make a fuss of them.
But over the years hes withdrawn more and more, and now he never mixes.
The fact is these lanes around here are incredibly narrow and cars cant pass, so the result is mayhem for everyone. Us locals hate getting in our cars now because we know even a short journey can take forever.
They should be stopped until the end of the appeal process.
One resident who lives on the opposite side of the valley to Euridge Manor said the noise from the weddings is intolerable.
She said: We have to listen to the speeches and all the swearing those speeches often contain.
In one particular instance, a best man was giving his speech through the public address system on a microphone and shouted W****r, W****r, W****r at the top of his voice. A lot of children live round here and they are being subjected to some awful language.
They say they are putting on so-called society weddings, but they sound like an uncouth lot to me, if the swearing is anything to go by.
Then, when the music starts up, its like having a disco in the back garden. The noise carries across the valley and seems to amplify it. Its like the acoustic effect of an amphitheatre.
This used to be such a lovely place to live but since he started up with his weddings, life around here has become a nightmare. Many locals are considering selling up and leaving the area if he wins his appeal.
And if he loses his appeal, what about the people whove booked weddings there in the months ahead? Theyll have to cancel their plans and find somewhere else. That would be very stressful.
The woman, who asked not to be named, added that if he wins his appeal, she believes some locals may be forced to stage protest demonstrations outside the entrance to his estate on wedding days.
For now, were following the legal process but if he wins his appeal, a lot of us will be feeling very let down and that might well result in an escalation in terms of what we can do to show our objection to his wedding business. This just isnt the right place to be hosting these big events.
Another local, retired primary school teacher Karen, who now works as a volunteer at the local village church, St John the Baptist, in Colerne, said: This is an area of outstanding natural beauty and it is just not the right place for events of this kind.
Mostly, they all come in from London and they have no idea how to drive on country lanes like the ones we have here.
Many of them drive huge cars and I know several people who say theyve been knocked off their bikes. Horse-riding friends say the wedding guests often drive way to close to them and the horses get very scared.
Mr Robinson founded Jigsaw in 1970 with his now ex-wife Belle. Their wealth has previously been estimated at £130million by the Sunday Times Rich List.
They count the Middleton family among their close friends, and their instrumental role in the Kate and Williams courtship began when they hired the now Princess of Wales to work at their head office in 2006 when she finished university.
Mr Robinson gave Kate the use of his luxurious hilltop villa on Mustique, in the Caribbean, for private romantic holidays with the young Prince. Mr Robinson and his then wife also attended their wedding in 2011.
Wiltshire Council said matters now rested with the Planning Inspectorate, which handles appeals.
Parvis Khansari, its corporate director of place, said: Two planning applications have been submitted by the owners of Euridge Manor to enable them to hold wedding events.
The first was refused and appealed, but the appeal was withdrawn. The second was appealed for non-determination and is still to be decided by the Planning Inspectorate.
We have served Euridge Manor with an enforcement notice against holding wedding events, which has also been appealed.
The enforcement notice doesnt take effect until the planning application appeal has been determined by the Planning Inspectorate and only if it is dismissed.
Alice Grochowska, venue manager at Euridge Manor, told MailOnline: [The matter] has been the subject of a 10 day inquiry where local people both in support of the venue and opposed have been able to put forward their views. A decision from an independent planning officer is likely within a couple of months.
By hiring our own two 8 seater minicabs to ferry guests to and from their local hotels and accommodation, we have put in place arrangements to ensure that traffic is at a minimum, and since doing so it is factually inaccurate to refer to traffic jams.
Music at the venue is managed by way of a noise management plan and sound limiters prevent music being over agreed limits.
I want to add that Euridge weddings and their guests contribute almost £2 million a year to a local economy by supporting local suppliers, taxis, hotels etc.