I’ll go to WAR with council to get £50m ‘Burj al Gypsy’ mega-tower with spa & gym off the ground, vows Alfie Best
BRITAIN’S richest Gypsy has vowed to go to war with the council to get his mega-skyscraper off the ground.
Alfie Best, 54, plans to build the 28-storey Wyldecrest Park Tower boasting a spa, gym, hotel and business centre in Thurrock, Essex, over a period of five years.
The businessman, who founded caravan park titan Wyldecrest Parks, told The Sun that he wants the structure, dubbed the ‘Burj al Gypsy’, to become “iconic” and revitalise the area.
But he added that while his first preference is for the tower to be built for working people in Essex, if he cannot get planning permission then he will take his scheme to the Middle East instead.
Over the next few months, Alfie’s team will be putting in a pre-application for planning permission for Essex – but the man himself was yesterday in Qatar, scoping out other potential sites.
He said: “I’ll 100% take the project elsewhere if not given planning permission.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing here [in Qatar] – looking for other spaces if we’re refused in the UK.
“It pains me not to be investing in the UK – I’d rather be investing in the UK.”
Alfie estimated the cost of the Essex project as around £50million, though it is understood that it could cost up to twice that much – particularly if it becomes a haven for the ultra-rich in Qatar.
If the Thurrock scheme is not greenlit, plans for cheap hotels and affordability go out the window – in favour of five-star hotels and luxury restaurants for the Middle East’s wealthiest few.
When asked if it would contain luxurious five-star hotels and restaurants, Alfie said: “If we take it to the Middle East it will be built for that.
“It’s not being built in Mayfair, Knightsbridge or central London, it’s being built in a working town on the outskirts, on the corridor of the centre of London.
“That, hopefully, is what we want to put in – a budget hotel.
“Will there be a five-star restaurant? Absolutely – but there will be no five-star hotel.”
Alia Beyg, of Aqua Architecture ltd, said: “The Wyldecrest Park Tower at 857 Wyldecrest Parks, Thurrock represents a forward-thinking approach to urban development, combining living, working, and leisure in a single eco-friendly and holistic environment.
“As the project moves forward, it promises to set new standards in sustainable and integrated community living.”
It comes after business titan Alfie celebrated on a £9million superyacht and splashed out on a £500,000 Rolls Royce following his Sunday Times Rich List success.
He is now among the 350 wealthiest men and women in Britain, earning himself a spot on the exclusive list.
Alfie built his fortune after founding caravan park group Wyldecrest Parks – which is worth around £947 million.
His current lifestyle is a sharp contrast to his humble origins, having been born in a roadside caravan and taught to work from an early age.
Alfie is currently on track to reach his first billion and join the ranks of Britain’s 165 billionaires.
The father-of-two boasts a £10million yacht moored in Cannes, along with a £4million Knightsbridge townhouse.
But he now spends his time browsing £25million apartments in Monaco’s millionaire’s playground after moving earlier this year.
As well as his holiday property empire, Alfie is also the owner of non-league East Thurrock United, which he snapped up during Covid.
His vast net worth climbed a further £202 million in the last year.