The saga of the Beckham family’s Cotswold estate renovations rumbles on – but with some good news for once.
David and Victoria’s plans to add a kidney-shaped lake at their £6 million property has been met with irritation from the neighbours – but a council representative has reportedly given it her initial approval.
Esther Frizell-Armitage, West Oxfordshire District Council’s assistant biodiversity officer, has assessed that the lake could be a welcome addition to the land, despite residents of the surrounding area believing it will cause uproar for animal and plant habitats.
Saga: The Beckham family’s Cotswold estate renovation plans rumble on – but with some good news for once
David and Victoria submitted plans for a lake that will be four metres deep and surrounded by an array of wildflowers and trees, though this was previously reported to have been blocked.
But, according to The Sun, Ms Frizell-Armitage told planners: ‘The proposal comprises a newly created wildflower meadow area. Although this holds botanic interest (including species such as red campion and salad burnet), I consider the new scheme to provide enhancement measures that will contribute towards the biodiversity net gain on site.
‘Proposed enhancement measures include the infilling of existing hedgerows with native species, the creation of the wildlife pond, the retention of part of the wildflower meadow as well as an area that will be managed as a hay meadow. Furthermore, bunds will be created and planted with native shrubs and trees.
‘These features will enhance the ecological value of the site and also provide foraging, refugia and breeding opportunities for species such as bats (where there are records on site), birds, reptiles and amphibians in the long-term.’
Hope: David and Victoria’s plans to add a kidney-shaped lake at their £6 million property has been met with irritation from the neighbours – but a council representative has given it her initial approval
Home: The Beckhams own a home in the idyllic Oxfordshire enclave, where they’ve been spending the summer months amid the nationwide lockdown
Ms Frizell-Armitage has also stated that the plans to nurture local wildlife will need to be submitted with the proposed landscaping plans in order to consent to the lake.
She also asserted that a Precautionary Working Method Statement be provided, which lays out how amphibians and reptiles will avoid harm.
She recommended slopes be added during the lake’s excavation so that any creatures living in the area can ‘escape’.
The matter is not closed, but Ms Frizell-Armitage asserted that she will need these extra points addressed prior to final consent.
Good news: Esther Frizell-Armitage, West Oxfordshire District Council’s assistant biodiversity officer, has assessed that the lake could be a welcome addition to the land, despite residents of the surrounding area believing it will cause uproar for animal and plant habitats
Lakeside: David and Victoria submitted plans for a lake that will be four metres deep and surrounded by an array of wildflowers and trees, though this was previously reported to have been blocked
It’s understood that two neighbours have complained about the lake, with one branding it ‘monstrous’.
The lake is the latest in a series of amendments the Beckhams are implementing at the house.
They have reportedly set their sights on building a sauna there too, with the former footballer, 45, and fashion mogul, 46, said to be keen on erecting the relaxation spot, despite the council blocking plans for the lake earlier this month.
The Sun claimed on Saturday that the pair do not need planning permission to put up the building if they choose to do so, as it is seen as a temporary structure.
Refurb: David and Victoria are said to have also ‘set sights on building a sauna at their £6m Cotswolds estate’, it was reported on Saturday… after having lake plans thwarted by the Council
In plans obtained by the publication, the sauna was situated metres away from where the lake would be, before the council rejected the application earlier this month.
David and Victoria were said to want to put the sauna in the midst of the woodland on their property, which will be a picturesque location for the family to relax.
MailOnline contacted David and Victoria’s representatives who declined to comment.
Renovations: The pair are said to be keen on putting the relaxation spot just metres away from the jetty of their proposed lake, if they can build it in the future
There were also reports that they were building a three metre high hill in the garden of their Cotswolds estate to shield their home from a new holiday park.
David was said to want builders to raise the level of the ground to create earthworks around a tennis court.
According to The Sun, the couple are hoping the hill will prevent noise from the new park as well as keep their privacy from tourists.
A source told the publication: ‘The hill will create more privacy for the house because it will create a visual and sound barrier to the works going on across the field.
‘The area is so flat that at the moment they can see straight across. David and Victoria want to mitigate the impact the development will have on their home.’
Home: The former footballer wants builders to raise the level of the ground to create earthworks around a tennis court
A representative for the couple declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline at the time.
The couple’s idyllic lifestyle was reportedly on the verge of being disrupted by the construction of a huge car park. The 100-space underground car park has been planned by a nearby business.
The unnamed applicant will also reportedly build six five-bedroom lodges, an upscale leisure centre with pool and a restaurant a stone’s throw away from the mega-rich family’s countryside bolthole.
Privacy: According to The Sun, the couple are hoping the hill will prevent noise from the new park as well as keep their privacy from tourists
The Sun reports that West Oxfordshire District Council received notice that works had begun on the large project on March 31 – three years after plans were approved.
But David and Victoria have already been awarded planning permission of their own to install a secret underground tunnel, wine cellar and ‘super garage’ at their Cotswolds home.
They were recently granted permission to extend their sprawling property, as long as they begin the work within three years.