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Self-styled “Lord” Edward Davenport was today banned from using his £20 million London home for parties.
Entrepreneur Davenport, 44, has hosted a series of glittering events for guests including Cher and Naomi Campbell at the 110-room Portland Place property. Among them was a masked ball, pole-dancing lessons and a Courvoisier party last December with a “gigantic punchbowl” filled with 1,000 litres of alcohol.
Westminster council claimed the property should not be used for commercial purposes and an interim injunction banning Davenport from hiring it out was granted in January.
However, planning officers sought a permanent injunction from the High Court to enforce this. Davenport denied he had breached any planning rules and claimed an injunction would be “oppressive” and create “overwhelming hardship and prejudice” to him and others.
But today a judge ruled there had been a breach of planning control and banned him from using the property, owned by Portland Place (Historic House) Ltd, for any non-residential purposes.
At a hearing in June, Saira Kabir Sheikh, representing Westminster, told the court a planning officer arrived at the December party to be told tickets could be bought online for £6.50.
She claimed that noise from the house got so loud it “constituted a statutory nuisance”. Davenport co-founded Gate-Crashers, which organises parties at stately homes.
Reader views (4)
If tickets were being sold to parties at the premises, they were commercial events, not private functions. If, in addition to that, so much noise was being made that it constituted a statutory nuisance, it's right that he be brought to book, going as far as barring him from hosting future events there if necessary. That's the price for breaking the law. I have no sympathy for him whatsoever. The law of the land should still apply to him, regardless of how much wealth and how many titled associates he has, and his neighbours have the right not to have their peace shattered by someone thinking they can do as they please.
- A. Bell, London, 01/08/2010 18:35
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Surely, if it's his house, he can have as many parties as he likes and whenever he likes PROVIDING he does not make a noise and does not charge an entrance fee.
If he wants to make money, I am sure there are strategies that he can use to get the £250k he needs to maintain the property! If he can't think of any, try and speak to a British MP because they do it all the time!
- Maz, Damascus, Syria, 31/07/2010 10:21
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If he invites me to one of his soiries he can do what the hell he likes.!!
- Davey_buoy, Chertsey, 30/07/2010 18:14
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Serves him right. These toffs who think they're above the law need a damn good shaking up.
- Nowan, London, 30/07/2010 15:17
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