The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
Grand Designs has played host to many a disastrous build over the past 25 years, and its latest season has once again left viewers’ jaws on the floor with a build Kevin McCloud described as “painful”.
Purchased at auction for a bargain £170,000, the renovators of the former East Yorkshire coastguard station planned to complete their grand design in a snappy 10 months.
Features of the property included panoramic views of its coastal location as well as floors that appear to defy the laws of physics and look like they are levitating off the side of the property.
However, thanks to a total lack of planning, it ended up taking five years. It still wasn’t even finished by the end of the show, but its owners, Zahid and Ferzana, optimistically said they were finally “on the home stretch”.
To put the scale of the delays into context, it took four years to complete the necessary drawings for the build. Problems to follow including a total absence of space for the fittings for the planned panoramic windows.
Other issues involved planning permission after the couple knocked down the watchtower, which meant that the build was no longer classed as just a renovation.
Following broadcast on Wednesday, viewers took to social media in their droves to share their disbelief that the build had gone so disastrously wrong – especially when Zahid himself works in construction.
Blasting the build on Twitter/X, one viewer wrote: “Four years later. Yes, four years later. ‘So, when are you going to produce proper drawings?’ [Absolutely] ridiculous individual; completely out of his depth, clueless, and just an embarrassment for anyone connected to him. Incredible episode.’”
“This is an absolute disaster!” agreed a second. “The bloke hasn’t really got a clue has he considering his job.”
A third added: “Not fitting in with the countryside either, although the views are amazing! Feel for his neighbour looking at a frame for 2 years!”
Also blasting the amount of time it took to create the drawings, a fourth wrote: “Nah I’m sorry he’s had 4 years to do the drawings. Kevin is very nice bc I woulda said hey!” [sic]
However, it was not just viewers of the show who were left open-mouthed by the grand design, so too were its neighbours. One admitted that they were “glad to see the back” of the scaffolding after it was finally removed after half a decade.
But while Zahid acknowledged that the build was more “complex than [he] originally envisioned”, he said he was delighted by the results.
The latest season of Grand Designs is the 25th and has been described as a testament to the show’s enduring success.
Ian Dunkley, Channel 4 commissioner, said of the anniversary: “The 25th-anniversary is a testament to Grand Designs and the team behind it. For a generation, the show has engaged audiences with the captivating stories of real people taking huge risks on innovative, sustainable and sometimes eccentric designs.
“Grand Designs continues to be a much-loved Channel 4 show, and we are proud to announce a new series.”
The next episode in the new series of Grand Designs will air on Wednesday night at 9 pm on Channel 4.
