Prince of Wy Paul Delprat plans to build a drawbridge to his Balmoral principality
The ‘Prince of Wy’ does not give up. In a fight for land access he has already renounced his citizenship and lost an expensive legal battle. His solution? Build a drawbridge.
THE Prince of Wy does not know the meaning of defeat.
After apparently losing his 21-year battle to improve the access to his Balmoral principality, His Royal Highness — the artist also known as Paul Delprat — has a new cunning plan.
If they won’t let him build a road, then he will build a drawbridge.
He has even done some preliminary sketches of a medieval-looking construction that will solve the longstanding lack of vehicular access to his home.
“We are very adaptable, we have had to be,” said the Prince who, fed up with Mosman Council’s opposition, renounced his citizenship and seceded in 2004.
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“We found some medieval architects that we have been consulting with but, of course, they speak medieval. Fortunately, drawing is the international language — everyone understands drawing.”
It could all be a joke but the Prince has previously demonstrated the seriousness of his quest by taking the council to the Land and Environment Court in a legal battle that cost the council $130,000 to defend.
The Balmoral resident first lodged an application in 1993 to build a 25 metre driveway over an unformed part of Stanton Rd and gully in Wyargine Reserve to improve access to his Burran Ave home.
The two-decades long saga is thought to be the longest running development application in the world
The final blow seemed to have been struck at a council meeting last month when the area around his home was rezoned from one of public recreation to environmental conservation, which prohibits all environmentally unfriendly development.
“I did pretty well anticipate that was going to happen,” Mr Delprat said. “But I will never give up, I have faith in the warm hearts of the councillors.”
Mr Delprat said he hoped Mosman Council would not deny its citizens the joy of a drawbridge.
For Wyargine St resident Margo Anderson, the rezoning was a win for the community. “I think the community has spoken and now there will be no more wastage of ratepayers’ money,” Ms Anderson said.
1993: Paul Delprat lodged an application to Mosman Council to build a driveway to his Balmoral home over an unformed part of Stanton Rd
1998: He was granted approval in principle but changes to the council’s Local Environment Plan overlooked it and he has been fighting for it ever since
2004: Mr Delprat and his family were so incensed they renounced their Mosman citizenship and established the Principality of Wy
2012: The application was finally rejected by the council by four votes to three at an extraordinary meeting
2013: Mr Delprat’s bid for a driveway was unsuccessful in the Land and Environment Court
2014: The council rezoned the land to make it an environmental conservation area where almost all development is prohibited
● The Prince of Wy’s home suburb of Balmoral has some strong royal ties of its own.
● It is named after one of the residences of the British royal family, near Aberdeen in Scotland.
● There have been building on the Balmoral estate since 1390 and it waspurchased by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria in 1852.
● Queen Elizabeth II was at Balmoral at the time of the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
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