Plans to live the high life at the grandiose £12m Cotswold home of a former "daredevil billionaire" have been scuppered.

Alderley Farm, near Wotton-under-Edge, was given consent for construction in 2002 under a planning "loophole" law created John Selwyn Gummer. The seven-bedroomed Queen Anne-style mansion and 366-acre estate is tucked away in the picturesque Ozleworth Valley, on land neighbouring the National Trust's Newark Park.

The rural hideaway became the focus of paparazzi attention after its original owner, Royal confidante Owen Inskip, hosted parties and shooting events at the secluded address for his children which were regularly attended by young royal princes Harry and William.

Norwegian trader and philanthropist Erik Henriksen subsequently bought the property from the Inskip family and carried out substantial rebuilding work, before it was sold in 2016 in the wake of Mr Henriksen's tragic death at the age of 58. Mr Henriksen was killed when his 1,000-horsepower speedboat hit a large wave in the Cayman Islands and he was thrown from the craft.

At the time, the Daily Mail reported that the "daredevil billionaire philanthropist" was a close friend of Formula 1 playboy James Hunt.

New owners, Swiss legal professionals Martin and Judith Mueller, asked Stroud District Council for approval to:

● Rebuild of existing gymnasium as a garden room.

● Construct a single-storey spa building with roof-top pavilion and terrace.

● Extend a plant room.

● Refurbish an existing swimming pool.

In a Design and Access statement submitted to planners in December from Yiangou Architects Ltd, a former application which had been agreed in 2017 shows some modifications and maps out a vision to rebuild the existing gymnasium into a garden room "but in a more formal manner with a higher ceiling, additional fenestration and ashlar walls".

The project was "in keeping with the main Queen Anne house and will not impact negatively on it or its surroundings," Yiangou added, stating: "These proposals are in keeping with the spirit of the original PP67 consent and the creation of a new country house and estate."

The statement added: "The previously proposed garden pavilion will be replaced with a single storey spa on a reduced footprint. It will also have a small roof pavilion at first floor level.

The previously approved garden pavilion had a footprint of 190 square meters while the proposed spa building will have an overall footprint of 124 square meters. We also propose to extend the existing plant room which will add an additional 19 square meters, which is 47 square meters less than has been already consented."

But Rachel Brown, SDC planning officer, told the council that the application, which had been submitted "without any meaningful pre-application discussions", should be refused.

She said: "The proposed roof top pavilion, by virtue of its materials, siting and design, would be a contemporary addition that would appear as a discordant feature that would harm the character of the existing house, contrary to Policy HC8(2) of the Stroud District Local Plan, 2015."

It is unknown as yet whether the applicant will appeal the decision.