A controversial lake in Marlow built without planning permission has been approved by Buckinghamshire Council.

Alexander Gerko received retrospective permission for the body of water at his enormous mansion ‘Holmewood’, which is sunken into the hillside of a 150-acre private estate off Frieth Road.

The lake is located just to the south of the concrete property – previously owned by Lady Helen Roice Hamlyn – which has a grass roof and features a 16m-long swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, cinema, gym, library and wine cellar.

The approval of the ‘wildlife pond’ follows the council saying in 2022 that the lake ‘breached planning control’ due to it being built without permission.

An appeal against the local authority’s decision by Mr Gerko was then thrown out by the Planning Inspectorate last year.

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Following these decisions, the homeowner, who is described as a ‘keen philanthropist’, submitted his now-approved application for retrospective planning permission in November 2023.

The application acknowledged the previous pushbacks against the lake, as well as the ‘alleged breach’ of planning control.

It read: “The scheme has not resulted in any unacceptable ecological or landscape impacts and will in fact deliver a significant biodiversity net gain.”

Mr Gerko also claimed that land at the site was previously rented to a local farmer for the grazing of sheep.

However, Bucks Council previously said: “There is very little information on any trades or business associated with arable farming or livestock grazing at the site.”

A planning inspector also previously said: “The appellant has also failed to adequately demonstrate that the formation of the pond would not harm any ecological features and protected species and result in an uplift in biodiversity to the land and area.”

Medmenham Parish Council was one of several objectors to the retrospective planning application.

It said: “The lake has never been referred to as a wildlife lake in past communications and it would appear that this term has only been considered for this application as a means to try and comply with existing Policies.”

Part of the issue with the lake, the local council said, was that it was filled by extraction of water from the water table via a borehole, due to it sitting near the top of a chalky hill with no natural supply of water.

It added: “As this development has occurred over the past years without an ecology report having been taken, there is no existing baseline for the biodiversity of the area.

“It is possible that much of the flora and fauna that was present four years ago has disappeared which would have affected a baseline based on present findings.”

A local resident who also objected, said: “The chalk streams and related aquifers are an incredibly sensitive natural structure and elsewhere, for example in the nearby Hambleden Valley, strenuous efforts are being made to reverse the effects of many years of inappropriate water extraction and development.”

Mr Gerko has been approached for comment.