Real Housewives star’s plans for 200-space ‘disco’ car park at £5.5m fairytale castle rejected after furious backlash

A REALITY TV star has caused furious backlash after planning to flatten a field next to a local village hall. Dr Ann Kaplan Mulholland from The Real Housewives of Toronto wanted to create a 200-capacity car park to support events she hosts at her £5.5million castle in the quiet village of Lympne, Kent. Villagers have banded together to reject a reality TV star’s plans for a massive car park near the castle she owns Credit: Stewart Williams Dr Ann, 65, left Canada and moved into a stunning 1,000-year-old Grade-I listed castle in 2023 Credit: Cover Images Dr Ann, 65, left Canada and moved into a stunning 1,000-year-old Grade-I listed castle in 2023 – and she’s been infuriating neighbours ever since, spending £15million on renovating it. Recently, the star wanted to build a huge car park next to the castle for guests to use when visiting her property which hosts weddings and other events. Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! But 17 locals objected to this over fears the space would look and sound like a disco. Folkestone and Hythe District Council planning officers said the plans would “introduce a visually intrusive and urbanising form of development” in the village. She planned to flatten a field near a village hall and turn it into a car park Credit: Cover Images Dr Ann bought the castle for £5.5million Credit: Cover Images They added: “The site is characterised by its open, green and undeveloped nature and the plans would erode the rural character of the area and harm the significance of the Grade I-listed Lympne Castle. “The use would give rise to unacceptable noise and disturbance in a manner harmful to the residential amenity of the neighbouring dwellings.” First erected in the 1080s, Lympne Castle was the residence of the Archdeacon of Canterbury until 1860, and it has stunning views looking out over the Kent countryside, and as far out as Calais, France. Planning officers said that the application failed to demonstrate the statutory Biodiversity Net Gain, meaning it didn’t show that it would positively contribute to biodiversity as required by national legislation. Most read in TV Objections were lodged with Folkestone and Hythe District Council Credit: Cover Images Ann and her plastic surgeon husband Stephen, 65, own 11 properties all over the world Credit: Dr Stephen Mulholland In a refusal notice, they said: “The proposal would erode the rural character of the site and result in detrimental harm to the character and appearance of the countryside.” A Lympne Castle spokesperson told KentOnline “a number of other parking arrangements remain available” at the site. They added: “Throughout the restoration, we remain committed to protecting the beauty of the surrounding environment, preserving the castle’s important history, and ensuring that it continues to be a welcoming place for everyone, including the local community who visit it daily. “We will also continue to make our existing car park available to local people free of charge, and we are grateful to the many residents and visitors who have shown their understanding and support.” Local residents are pleased that the plans have been rejected following the aggravation she’s already caused them. In August 2024 Dr Ann re-opened the castle’s bistro they renamed The Naughty Dog, installing a diesel generator behind a stone wall at the property. A Lympne Castle spokesperson said it would be replaced by a new electrical substation in the springtime, but not before it “ruined” a neighbour’s previously “peaceful garden. Ian Brown, 82, lives near the castle said he had to keep his windows closed to avoid the “constant droning”. Ann also invited a film crew to document their huge castle renovations. The 139-acre castle is just one of 11 properties Ann and her plastic surgeon husband Stephen, 65, own all over the world. This includes three homes in Hawaii, five in Canada and a 17,000 sq ft penthouse in Las Vegas, which cost $18 million, and has a 360-degree view of the Las Vegas Strip. Comment now