Ben purchased three helicopters for an astonishing £250,000, planning to create two glamping pods and a café.
A man who spent thousands converting Prince William’s helicopter into a seaside café had his plans halted due to a "ridiculous" rule.
The Sea King XY589 was flown by Prince William on October 2 in 2010Credit: Getty
A look inside one of Ben’s renovated helicopter glamping podsCredit: mediadrumimages/DAVID CHALMERS
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.
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.
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.
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."
When Ben tried to apply for his helicopter to be stationed outside the Grand Hotel, he was also rejected "outright".
The businessman had been working tirelessly to raise funds to keep renovating, before the plug was pulled on his dream.
The £1,200 raised was ultimately given back to people who donated.
"It is just frustrating. I would like to see people enjoy what is a great bit of engineering and aviation history that deserves to be in the public eye," he added.
Ben’s helicopter glamping pods have also been axed after his application to have them to sit above the Hole of Horcum, on the North York Moors was turned down too.
Park ranger David Smith objected to the plan and wrote: "The development, especially the helicopters, may well be a distraction to other road users and therefore create road safety issues."
A local farm objected because they feared it would spark extra noise and litter, as well as looking "unsightly" in the area.
Chris France, Director of Planning for the North York Moors National Park, said: "That form of development in an area very prominent and open and surrounded by beautiful moorland was incongruous and conspicuous.
"It is not the sort of development people would expect to see in a protected landscape.
"People come to the North York Moors to get away from development they would see elsewhere. They want to be with nature and see wide open spaces.
"It was in the middle of the moor. It has a viewpoint that looks over the Hole of Horcum. It is an amazing geological feature that people come to see.
"They don’t want to turn around and see a load of helicopters as a café and glamping pods."
But nevertheless, Ben is still searching for a place his helicopter cafe can call home.
The 34-year-old is thinking of moving it to a nearby Shopping Centre that is undergoing development.
Ben’s plan to station his glamping pods above the Hole of Horcum, on the North York Moors was turned downCredit: NNP
The council have rejected every planning application at presentCredit: NNP
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