Villagers in Cley next the Sea, Norfolk, said the timber-clad house built for Adam Spiegel and his wife, Charlotte, resembled a “fortress”. North Norfolk district council agreed with the assessment, saying that the “intrusive” property was not built as authorised, The Times reports.

Spiegel, who has produced the West End shows The Mousetrap and Hairspray, had fought the decision for nearly four years in an attempt to keep the house standing. However, the government planning inspector has turned down the couple’s appeal against the council’s decision to refuse changes in planning consent conditions. The couple have now been told they must demolish it by October 18 next year, although they are allowed to keep an annexe and their swimming pool.

The property — called Arcady, meaning “rustic paradise” — sits among flint cottages opposite St Margaret’s church, which dates from the 14th century. Planning permission to replace an existing bungalow was granted by the council on the grounds that the new building was sensitive to the local environment.

However, a subsequent investigation following a complaint found that there were inconsistencies between the design and build. The council told Spiegel to halt construction until a fresh planning application could be looked at, but work continued and the council served an enforcement notice.

The couple tried to get planning conditions amended last year to allow their home to be approved retrospectively but they were turned down.

Diane Lewis, the planning inspector, said that the original planning drawings for the house were inaccurate and “did not correctly show the proposed dwelling in its proper context”. The inspector criticised the blocks of the building for showing “little articulation and subtlety”.