Overview

• Stephen Cuddy spent about £55,000 constructing a miniature canal system and a reinforced ‘giant cupcake’ wedding venue at Grimscote Manor Hotel between November 2021 and July 2023.
• WarwiWarwickshire Borough Council classified both projects as unauthorised engineering operations that lack necessary planning approval and warned of potential enforcement action.
• Cuddy estimates a full legal defence could cost around £100,000 and says he cannot afford to challenge the council’s demands.
• The canal feature and cupcake structure were showcased on Channel 4’s ‘Amazing Spaces’ and praised by presenter George Clarke as among his finest builds.
• Council officers have also disputed the lawful use of a marquee removed during Covid and invited Cuddy to submit retrospective applications for all structures.