ONE of the richest men in the country has seen plans to expand the headquarters of his global chemicals firm rejected again.

The plans for a two-storey extension to house senior management of INEOS at its modern design award-winning offices on the outskirts of Lyndhurst were rejected by the National Park Authority (NPA).

It is a blow to chairman and chief executive Jim Ratcliffe, 53, who works from the tree-ringed building off Chapel Lane with a dozen support staff.

The private entrepreneur is said to be worth £1.1 billion and is ranked as number 45 in the Times Rich List.

INEOS hoped changes to plans refused three months ago would sway decision-makers.

They included moving the proposed extension, measures to protect trees, opening up 13 more car parking spaces and promises not to employ more than 60 on site.

INEOS, which currently employs 45 people at the site with ten more to come, offered to introduce six-monthly checks and pay a £10,000 penalty for each additional employee per month if it broke its pledge.

However, NPA planning committee members, while recognising the boost INEOS had brought to the local economy, felt a 70 per cent increase in foot space was too much.

The committee accepted the planning officers' reasoning that the plans were more than a "limited extension to employment premises in open countryside" allowed under its local planning policy, and that there was insufficient parking.

They rejected the employment cap as unenforceable.

The committee was also annoyed by news that INEOS had bought three nearby cottages in the summer and was using one as an office without planning permission after knocking down internal walls.

The parish council had backed INEOS's plans as a "sensible addition" to the company's requirements and cited the boost to the local economy.

One nearby resident complained of "blue" light pollution and branded the plans, first approved as an exception to policy, as creeping expansion.

Speaking after the meting, INEOS Capital business development manager Peter Clarkson told the Daily Echo of his disappointment and said an appeal was being considered.

"We have tried and been successful at being good neighbours. In terms of our behaviour we've been impeccable."

He cited support for the local economy, worth several hundreds of thousands in goods and services, and community donations of more than £200,000.

Mr Clarkson added: "It raises the question as to whether people do want thriving working communities in the Forest or is the Forest going to be dormant with a few hotels and B&Bs."

Mr Clarkson said the cottage office was being used as a "temporary office" and failure to check the need for panning permission had been a regrettable oversight.

Permissions would now be sought.

"We've tried very hard to do everything by the book since we've been here," he added.

INEOS is the world's third largest chemical company with sales of about £18 billion a year. It employs 15,000 people.