Vicky Curtis-Cresswell won a £6 million coastal mansion in March 2025. She still can’t move in.
The 38-year-old former Miss Wales finalist bought a £10 raffle ticket and became a multi-millionaire overnight. But an anonymous complaint to North Norfolk District Council revealed the Blakeney property had been built illegally, triggering an investigation that has kept her locked out for nearly a year.
The Omaze Norfolk house planning breaches case has become one of the most high-profile property disputes in the region, raising questions about developer accountability and enforcement in protected landscapes.
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The £6 Million Prize That Came With a Catch
Curtis-Cresswell won Larkfields, a three-bedroom mansion designed to mimic properties in New York’s Hamptons, through the Omaze and Comic Relief raffle. The prize included £250,000 cash and £165,000 in furnishings.
The property sits on three acres in Blakeney, with views across salt marshes toward Blakeney Point National Nature Reserve. The draw raised £4.1 million for Comic Relief.
But the BBC pulled its planned live winner announcement from Red Nose Day programming after council investigators confirmed planning violations at the property.
What Investigators Found
In February 2025, an anonymous resident compared Omaze’s marketing materials against approved planning documents from 2020. The floor plans didn’t match.
North Norfolk District Council investigators confirmed multiple breaches of planning control:
- An eastern wing extension built larger than approved
- A four-bay garage constructed without authorization
- A heated swimming pool installed where protected pine trees stood
- An all-weather tennis court built over what residents say was wildflower meadow
- Several outbuildings erected without planning permission
All of this in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where unauthorized construction faces strict enforcement.
How a £6 Million Property Got Built Wrong
Michael and Julia Goff of Goff Petroleum built Larkfields in 2020 under approved plans from North Norfolk District Council. They sold the property to Omaze in 2024.
The council had granted permission in 2020 with specific conditions, including removal of permitted development rights. This meant any additions like pools or tennis courts required separate applications. None were submitted.
In 2021, the council approved minor alterations for window sizes and a veranda extension. But the larger changes went ahead without authorization.
Omaze says its pre-purchase due diligence and surveys failed to detect the planning violations. The company discovered the problems only after the anonymous tip-off and council investigation began.
A Winner Stuck in Wales
Curtis-Cresswell lives with her husband Dale and young daughter in her in-laws’ three-bedroom house in South Wales. She had been searching for a rental property when she won.
“Like a lot of people, times can be tough, we both work so hard but things can still feel stretched some months,” she said after winning. “Winning this house feels like an enormous weight has been lifted.”
She planned to sell the mansion and buy a family home in Wales. Those plans remain frozen. Omaze retains legal ownership and has refused to transfer the property until all planning matters are resolved.
The company has guaranteed Curtis-Cresswell will face no costs for fixing the violations.
Local Objections to Retrospective Approval
Omaze submitted a retrospective planning application in July 2025, seeking permission for everything built without authorization.
Blakeney Parish Council objected. Clerk Tracey Bayfield wrote that building design must be controlled to “safeguard the character of the countryside and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”
District Councillor Victoria Holliday raised environmental concerns. She questioned whether the swimming pool required felling protected pine trees and whether the tennis court destroyed wildflower habitat.
“This may have caused a loss of biodiversity, and both the court itself and the enclosure domesticates the landscape,” Holliday stated.
Local residents filed objections too. One wrote: “Too many developers take a very cavalier attitude to planning permissions and systematically rely on retrospectives to get their own way.”
The Council’s Decision
Planning officers recommended approval despite objections. They determined the unauthorized construction didn’t create significant harm given the property’s secluded position.
On October 16, 2025, the planning committee approved the retrospective application with conditions. Omaze had to complete landscaping work to protect the environment and reduce visual impact.
The conditions require:
- Hand-digging paved areas near protected pine trees to prevent root damage
- Planting additional pine trees to screen the house from Blakeney coastal path
- Adding vegetation to minimize the property’s visibility from the conservation area
This avoided the demolition scenario. A similar case at the nearby Arcady property in Cley cost West End producer Adam Speigel millions when he had to rebuild a house found to exceed approved plans.
Work Continues as Winner Waits
Photographs from January 2026 show workers carrying out the required landscaping modifications. They’re digging up paving by hand and planting trees to comply with council conditions.
But Curtis-Cresswell still doesn’t have the keys. Omaze has not confirmed when property transfer will happen.
A company spokesperson said: “Omaze will transfer ownership of the property to the winner once all planning matters are resolved.”
The winner has been waiting 11 months since her March 2025 win. No timeline exists for completion of the remedial work or final sign-off from planning officers.
What This Case Reveals
The Larkfields dispute exposes gaps in how luxury property transactions handle planning compliance. Omaze purchased a £6 million house without detecting violations that an anonymous resident spotted by comparing public documents.
The case also highlights tensions over development in Norfolk’s protected landscapes. Blakeney sits in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty where unauthorized construction draws intense scrutiny.
For Curtis-Cresswell, a £10 ticket turned into a prize she still can’t claim. She won financial security on paper but remains living with her in-laws, unable to sell the asset or access its value. The planning breaches at the Omaze Norfolk house have transformed what should have been a life-changing moment into an indefinite waiting period with no clear end date.
