I splashed £1000s turning Prince William’s helicopter into seaside cafe.. but council turned it down due to ‘daft’ rule
Share:
A MAN who forked out thousands turning Prince William's helicopter into a seaside cafe saw his dreams squashed over a "daft" rule. Ben Stonehouse, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, saw his potential business thwarted after plans for the unique eatery were rejected by his council.
![[Prince William piloting a yellow Sea King helicopter.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/prince-william-takes-control-sea-949170649.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The 34-year-old went bankrupt two years ago but is still fighting to see the Sea King bustling with business. The Sea King XY589 was flown by Flight Lieutenant Wales, Prince William, on October 2 in 2010. It was his first operational call-out as an RholAF search and rescue pilot.
![[Man standing by a yellow rescue helicopter.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/53023edd-dfff-4315-bc95-f6ec60b25d67.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Ben actually snapped up three helicopters for an eye-watering £250,000 with hopes of launching two glamping pods as well as the cafe. Four years of blood, sweat and tears later, the entrepreneur had restored them with original parts. He first applied to covert Prince William's helicopter into a cafe in 2017.
![[Man standing by a yellow RAF rescue helicopter.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/dddb1cef-3ed5-4c67-8c18-8952290d3ae1.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The council had been looking for a way to redeveloped the Royal Albert Drive Cafe in Scarborough after it was torn down. But officials wanted to introduce more holiday lets, so Ben also invested in planning designs for a £2million project. It would feature eight holiday apartments comprising of three penthouses and five two-bedroom lets.
![[Prince William piloting a Sea King helicopter.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/prince-william-takes-control-sea-949436433.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
There were three shops and two restaurants in the mock-ups, as well as the helicopter as a cafe. Ben told the Mail: "[The helicopter] was the only additional thing outside the tender scope and they would not entertain it. "Daft stuff like that has been constant for all the years I have been trying to do it and I have lost count.".
