An ancient castle overlooking the Kent countryside has become the centre of a dispute over how a historic property should operate alongside the village around it. Dr Ann Kaplan Mulholland, known for appearing on The Real Housewives of Toronto, bought Lympne Castle for £5.5 million and moved to England from Canada in 2023. As reported by The Sun, since then, the Grade I-listed building has undergone an extensive restoration, with reported spending reaching £15 million. The property is also used for weddings and other events, bringing visitors to the rural setting. But a proposal to create a 200-space car park on nearby open land has now been refused, following objections from residents and concerns raised by planning officers.
Lympne Castle’s medieval history and its £15 million restoration
Lympne Castle stands in the village of Lympne in Kent, with views across the surrounding countryside towards the French coast near Calais. Its origins date to the 1080s, making it a building with a history extending well beyond the period of its current owner’s television career.The castle served as a residence for the Archdeacon of Canterbury until 1860. Its Grade I listing reflects its historic and architectural significance, placing it among England’s most important protected buildings. The designation also means that changes affecting the property and its setting require careful consideration.Kaplan Mulholland, 65, acquired the castle for £5.5 million before relocating from Canada in 2023. She and her husband, plastic surgeon Stephen Mulholland, have invested heavily in the property, with the reported restoration bill reaching £15 million. The couple’s wider property portfolio is also substantial, with the Sun reporting that they own 11 properties around the world.
Why the proposed 200-space car park was refused
The latest planning dispute centred on a field near the village hall that Kaplan Mulholland wanted to convert into parking for visitors attending events at the castle. The proposed 200-space facility was intended to accommodate people coming to the property for weddings and other gatherings.Seventeen local residents objected to the application. Among their concerns was the prospect of the parking area becoming an intrusive presence in the village, with fears about noise and the character of the site. The proposal would have involved changing open land that currently contributes to the area’s rural appearance.Folkestone and Hythe District Council’s planning officers concluded that the scheme would introduce an inappropriate development into the landscape. They described the proposed car park as a visually intrusive and urbanising feature, warning that it would damage the rural character of the area and harm the significance of Lympne Castle.The council also raised concerns about the effect on people living nearby. In its assessment, the proposed use would create unacceptable noise and disturbance, affecting the residential amenity of neighbouring homes.There was a further issue with the application. Planning officers said it had failed to demonstrate compliance with the statutory Biodiversity Net Gain requirements, which are intended to ensure that qualifying developments leave the natural environment in a better state than before. The application therefore did not establish that the proposal would deliver the required biodiversity benefits.The refusal notice stated that the development would erode the rural character of the site and cause harm to the appearance of the surrounding countryside. The decision leaves the proposed 200-space car park off the table, although it does not prevent the owners from considering other parking arrangements.
Why Lympne Castle’s parking plans hit a planning obstacle
Lympne Castle is not simply a private residence. It also operates as a venue for weddings and other events, bringing guests to the property and creating a practical need to manage vehicles arriving at different times.The proposed car park was intended to serve this activity. However, the planning decision illustrates the difficulties that can arise when the requirements of a commercial venue meet the constraints of a protected historic site in a rural village.In conversation with KentOnline, a spokesperson for Lympne Castle said, “We will also continue to make our existing car park available to local people free of charge, and we are grateful to the many residents and visitors who have shown their understanding and support.” The refusal does not mean the venue must stop hosting events. Instead, the owners will need to work within the parking arrangements already available or explore alternatives that can meet planning requirements.
Earlier complaints over noise at Lympne Castle
The car park application followed earlier friction between the castle and some nearby residents. In August 2024, Kaplan Mulholland reopened the property’s bistro under the name The Naughty Dog. A diesel generator installed behind a stone wall subsequently became a source of complaints about noise.Ian Brown, an 82-year-old neighbour quoted by the Sun, said the sound was sufficiently persistent that he had to keep his windows closed. He described the noise as a constant droning that disturbed the previously peaceful atmosphere of his garden.A castle spokesperson said the generator would be replaced by a new electrical substation. The dispute over the equipment added to the tensions surrounding the property’s operation, although the planning refusal for the car park was based on the proposed development’s effects on the countryside, neighbouring homes and biodiversity.For residents, the latest decision means that the field will not be turned into the large parking area proposed in the application. For the castle’s owners, it leaves the task of accommodating event visitors without making changes that the council considers harmful to the surrounding landscape.
A restoration project with a wider public profile
Kaplan Mulholland and her husband have also invited a film crew to document the castle’s renovation. The project has brought additional attention to the couple’s move from Canada and their efforts to restore a historic English property on a substantial scale.The restoration of a Grade I-listed building involves more than updating a home to suit its owners. Its historic fabric and architectural features are protected, and work must account for the significance of the building. The reported £15 million investment gives an indication of the scale of the couple’s undertaking, though the figure alone does not establish how the spending has been divided between different parts of the project.The castle occupies a reported 139 acres, making it a sizeable estate within the Kent countryside. Its history, views and protected status are part of its appeal, while its use as an event venue creates demands that a purely residential property would not face to the same extent.
