King Charles III has come under fire after a TV presenter criticized the monarch’s project after Prince William praised his father’s leadership during his keynote address in Wales.
Hosted by Kevin McCloud The great designs, went on to blast the King’s Poundbury development, describing the interiors of homes on the Dorset estate as “unacceptable as an environment to put people in”.
Giving a shocking assessment of the project, the TV presenter sought to reveal a fundamental disconnect between Poundbury’s outward appearance and inner reality.
The presenter made these comments at the V&A Museum last week, which marked the 50th anniversary of SAVE Britain’s Heritage.
The 66-year-old held back, expressing his disapproval of the development’s approach to traditional design.
He even argued that the homes are unable to capture authentic historic character once residents enter despite the property’s carefully crafted exterior.
During his lecture, entitled “Reinventing Buildings: A Manifesto for the Imagination”, McCloud recounted a visit to what appeared to be an attractive thatched cottage in Poundbury.
He discovered that residents were prohibited from adding a conservatory or sun room due to strict design rules for the development.
The presenter contrasted this with authentic 17th century cottages, which typically have stone floors, exposed beams, large fireplaces and uneven ceilings.
Instead, he found the Poundbury property “just awful because it was like walking into a modern developer’s home, only the ceilings you hit your head on.”
What is Poundbury?
The project is an experimental urban extension of Dorchester. It was built on Duchy of Cornwall land and conceived by Charles to highlight his principles of traditional architecture and town planning.
Construction of the project started in 1993 and is expected to be completed around 2027.
It is based on the principles outlined in the monarch’s 1989 book, A vision of Britainand was master-planned by architect Léon Krier.
The restrictive planning conditions prevent homeowners from making changes that could compromise the property’s carefully controlled aesthetic appearance.
According to the expert: “They are dead because they are built of breeze block.”
Poundbury reportedly contains some impressive high-status properties that visitors are typically shown, many standard homes lacking the character one would expect from their traditional exterior, McCloud claimed.
Meanwhile, the monarch described Poundbury as a thriving community next to Dorchester, proving the critics wrong.
McCloud also respected the monarch, stating: “I have every respect for his Majesty’s tastes and views about being the King.”
