‘Cognac-filled swimming pool of party lord’

High Court battle: Edward Davenport faces legal action by Westminster council
12 April 2012

A self-styled lord is embroiled in a court battle over claims that he held hedonistic parties at a £20 million home, with revellers rowing across a swimming pool filled with cognac.

"Lord" Edward Davenport — who has hosted parties for Cher and Boy George, with guests such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell — is accused of a "flagrant" breach of planning rules.

Davenport is alleged to have hired out 33 Portland Place, which has 110 rooms and five floors, for a masked ball, pole-dancing lessons, and a Courvoisier party on December 9 where the pool was filled with cocktails. Westminster council says the property should not be used for commercial purposes and is seeking a permanent injunction from the High Court to enforce this.

Saira Kabir Sheikh, representing Westminster, told the court a planning officer arrived on December 9 to find the 18th century house illuminated by a pink glow. The officer was told tickets could be bought online for £6.50.

Brandy maker Courvoisier said it had created a "gigantic punchbowl" filled with 1,000 litres of alcohol, "so big you can row across it".

The 22,000 square metre house was also rented out for tango and pole-dancing lessons, said Ms Sheikh, and for events such as a "masked bash". Ms Sheikh also claimed that, despite requests to turn down the music, noise from the house got so loud it "constituted a statutory nuisance". Westminster says an enforcement notice issued in July 2006 was ignored.

Davenport, 44, co-founded Gate-crashers, which organises parties at stately homes and reportedly turned over £250,000 a year at its height. He lives in Monaco and London and counts actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, rapper 50 Cent and singer Pink as friends.

The house is owned by Portland Place (Historic House) Ltd. Davenport denies the alleged breaches and argues the house's current use is "not unauthorised". The hearing continues.

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