In 2018, inventor Colin Furze began a tunnel for the joy of making; three years later, it linked his home and workshop, with a bunker next, beneath his garden

British YouTube personality Colin Furze started digging a tunnel in November 2018 beneath his garden in Stamford, Lincolnshire. The goal behind the project was to connect his house to his workshop and, eventually, an underground bunker. After three years of construction, the passage developed into a full-fledged project with steel and concrete supports, lighting, ventilation and a track system for removing excavated soil. The work went ahead without any planning permission until Furze submitted an application to South Kesteven District Council in April 2022. By the time the project received a stamp of approval, much of the digging had already been finished. The approval followed serious concerns regarding the potential effects on health, safety and ground stability.A secret excavation developed into an engineered underground passageFurze’s project germinated with a practical idea which would allow him to reach his bunker without having to go outside through the garden path. He initially worked with a shovel, filling a single bucket at a time, and dug the tunnel approximately 1.2 metres (4 feet) below ground level, connecting his kitchen pantry with his shedAlthough the excavation was supposed to be kept from the neighbours, it gradually developed into a more elaborate construction, requiring more equipment and structural material to secure the passage. The tunnel was reinforced with steel and concrete, and its interior was fitted with lighting and ventilation shafts. In December 2022, ITV News Anglia reported that in order to minimise the noise generated during construction, Furze invented specialised mining equipment, which included a hydraulic jackhammer. Owing to these preventive measures, he was able to continue his work underground and keep his activities unnoticed on the street.The project also gained a digital footprint when it was released as a YouTube series titled Digging a Secret Tunnel. Although Furze anticipated that the construction would only provide content for a few videos, it unfolded into a series of nine instalments by June 2022. His audience followed the development from the early excavation through the installation of the tunnel's supporting structures and equipment.According to the BBC’s report published on 19 June 2022, Furze had gained 12 million YouTube followers at the time. The coverage also recorded his explanation for undertaking the project: he thought it would be cool. Before the tunnel, Furze had also worked on other unusual engineering projects, including experimental vehicles and other large-scale builds. Moreover, the underground bunker had also received recognition outside his YouTube channel and won the 2020 Cuprinol Shed of the Year competition, as reported by the Evening Standard.Planning approval came with conditions on further constructionThe tunnel’s development eventually came to the attention of South Kesteven District Council after the plans circulated widely on Facebook. Consequently, the site was visited by a planning inspector, and the application was considered regardless. The approval was met with objections from the parish council, which raised concerns relating to health and safety and the possibility of subsidence. Ultimately, on 10 June 2022, the council granted retrospective planning permission, but it came with a condition that required the ground and the structural integrity of the construction to be investigated before further work proceeded.However, the decision didn’t automatically authorise every part of Furze’s proposed underground connection. He had already set his sights on a new stage which would involve a digger to extend the passage between the shed and the bunker. This would cover approximately 15 metres (49 feet) and would require additional planning permission to go through. The distinction mattered because the bunker and the tunnel had separate planning histories. Homebuilding & Renovating reported that permission for the bunker had been granted in 2014, while the tunnel was built without approval and subsequently received retrospective consent.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.