A WEALTHY tycoon has lost the latest round in his battle to build a multi-million-pound dream house on the New Forest coast.

The National Park Authority (NPA) has rejected the fourth application submitted by billionaire businessman Jim Ratcliffe after accusing him of merely “tinkering” with the previous design.

Mr Ratcliffe , founder of the INEOS chemical company, wants to bulldoze Thorns Beach House, near Beaulieu, and replace it with a “next generation” property.

The proposed new mansion has been designed by architect Charles Morris, who transformed the Prince of Wales’s Highgrove home.

The first application was withdrawn after sparking a large number of protests and three further proposals have now been refused by the NPA in the last three years.

The latest application said the new house would have only a minimal impact on its surroundings while at the same time providing an “architecturally stimulating” environment.

Mr Ratcliffe, whose wealth has been estimated at more than £3 billion, intends to appeal.