Off-grid dad faces tearing down £66,000 pirate ship he built without permission

A dad who sold his home and bought a £500 boat frame to create an ‘off-grid paradise’ by the River Severn may have to tear it down.

Sam Griffiss, 35, spent £66,000 to live in an off-grid pirate ship house, but could have to demolish his creation after building it without planning permission in Bewdley, Worcestershire.

The former construction worker spent two months and most of his life savings completing the bizarre ship-shaped structure in January, which he believes is the only one of its kind in the UK.

But now he could lose his home, named The Daisy May, if he doesn’t get retrospective planning permission from Wyre Forest District Council.

Dad-of-one Sam forked out £25,000 converting the former fishing boat into a liveable ‘pirate ship’ and a cabin dormer on stilts, as well as splashing out £11,000 on a moveable wood-fired sauna.

He hopes one day the site will function as a community centre for outdoor activities as he awaits the council decision, which he says will ‘make or break him.’

‘I feel like what I’ve done is quite creative and beautiful, and I’m trying to do a good thing for the community on top of that,’ Sam said.

‘I’ll be damned if they try to make me tear it down. I have plenty of people who will come and stand with me if that occasion ever comes.’

“I really need to get the planning permission so I can have an official address and make it a permanent home.”

Sam lives completely off-grid, harvesting rainwater and getting power from generators and solar panels on his 100 sqm plot.

He added: ‘I built it without planning permission because I didn’t have anywhere to live, essentially. I knew they would say no to start with, as well, but I have built everything by the book in terms of movable objects and agricultural buildings.’

Sam said he needed a ‘fixed abode’ so his daughter could stay with him – adding that he’s not a rebel, but admitted that what he was doing was ‘quite pirate-like’.

Sam said he told the council in January about what he had built, but is urging a planning officer to come down and see the Daisy May for themselves.

He said: ‘I’m a dad to the most beautiful little girl, and I want this to be her legacy – she will look back and remember it was her dad who was the man who built a pirate ship on the river.

‘I think it’s inevitable that the council will want me to tear it down and won’t be on board with it, but I’m going to stand my ground and fight for my home.’

His future aim is to use the space to create a new wellbeing hub for the public called the Connection Club, where people can come experience the outdoors and enjoy archery, axe-throwing, fishing and canoeing.

A Wyre Forest District Council spokesperson said: ‘This property is currently part of an active investigation case.

‘As details of ongoing cases are confidential, we are unable to provide a comment at this time.’

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