Sunset view from Long Island

Its enough to make you long for an economic collapse. Long Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, has gone on the market The uninhabited private island would be the perfect off-grid retreat, — it has no homes and there is no planning permission to build one, but normal people will not be able to afford to live there with offers of over £1 million ($2.08 million) being considered.

And there is the chance that a clever property developer would be able to build a shelter there as the local planning authorities are notoriously lax when it comes to the needs of the super-rich. Across on the mainland is Sandbanks, the world’s fourth most expensive real estate, where one acre building plots reguarlyl change hands for up to £4m. The only pricier places are Shoto in Tokyo, Barker Road on The Peak in Hong Kong, and Eaton Square in London Wealthy property owners are used to building exactly what they like on the peninsula, and the resulting architecture makes Malibu look like a boring surbaban housing tract.

And while their lawyers are circumenveting the planning restrictions, the new owners will be permitted to pitch a tent in the wilderness and enjoy the island’s private beach, woodland and a 9m-high cliff. So it will be great for a super-rich environmentalist who just wants to get away from the stress.
The island covers 30 acres at low tide and is surrounded by marshes that are a haven for wildlife. It also lies within a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

There is no jetty, so visitors gain access to the island using a flat-bottomed boat run up the beach.

Across the water, they are rewarded with spectacular views of the Purbeck Hills to the west. The island is one of five in the harbour, the best known of which is Brownsea, where the first Scout camp was held.

Stephen Noble, the real estate agent who is working on the deal, said: “It is incredible to have a completely unspoiled island in a harbour like this.

He added: “It is covered with some different types of vegetation; a deciduous wood, and coastal plants.

“The views across to the Purbeck Hills are stunning and from that position you could imagine being totally alone in the middle of nowhere. It would be ideal for someone who wanted to live an outdoor life, or for a wildlife trust or a multi-millionaire.”
Mansions for sale along the millionaire’s enclave include nearby Western Gate, which sits on a half-acre plot of land and went on the market last month with a price tag of almost £8 million. There is also Harbour Watch mansion, which sits on a 12,400sq ft plot and went on the market for offers around £9.95 million in May last year.