David and Victoria Beckham lose battle over ‘alien’ balcony at their Cotswolds home
View 5 Images
Sir David and Lady Victoria have had their planning permission request denied(Image: Getty Images)
David and Victoria Beckham have had planning permission for an “alien” balcony rejected. The couple submitted plans to build an oak balcony at their Cotswolds home, which was the 44th application they have filed since renaming their property, which they purchased a decade ago.
During that time, Sir David and Lady Victoria have been embroiled in numerous rows with neighbours and have been accused of “drip-feeding” development there. And planners have now rejected the application and accused the Beckhams of trying to “domesticate” the agricultural home to an unacceptable level.
Documents submitted on behalf of the Beckhams said the latest scheme involved replacing the “Crittall-style screen and doors” and installing an “oak balcony to the western elevation.”
View 5 Images
Sir David and Lady Victoria had submitted an application to install an oak balcony at their home(Image: WODC / SWNS)
But in refusing the application, planners for West Oxfordshire District Council wrote: “The proposed balcony would introduce an overtly domestic feature which is alien to the utilitarian agricultural character of the former farmstead and would undermine the careful balance achieved through the original conversion of the site.
“The proposal would principally provide a private amenity benefit to the occupiers of the dwelling in the form of an external seating area and enhanced views over the garden. Such benefits are private in nature and carry very limited weight in the planning balance. Officers consider that no public benefits have been identified which would outweigh the identified heritage harm.
“Taking all matters into account, officers conclude that the proposal would fail to preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the listed building.” The planners added: “There are no discernible public benefits that outweigh the less than substantial harm identified.”
View 5 Images
David and Victoria have made a string of applications for their Cotswolds home(Image: Netflix)
The proposal sought to replace the existing first-floor screen and Crittall-style doors to create a larger opening in the west elevation of the property’s first floor.
The Beckhams argued the replacement units would replicate the appearance of the existing features in terms of their style, colour and glazing bar arrangement. The proposal also included the installation of an oak-framed balcony, accessed via the proposed Crittall-style doors within the enlarged opening.
The balcony would have been positioned on the west elevation of the western wing, would have a width to match the opening, and would have provided views across the Beckhams’ private garden.
View 5 Images
Their Cotswolds estate includes a fireplace and dining room(Image: Netflix)
Planners added: “The proposal, due to its siting on the west wing, would not be readily visible from the public highway and therefore would have a limited impact on the wider street scene. However, visibility from public viewpoints is not the sole determinant of good design. Officers are required to assess whether the proposal responds appropriately to the character and appearance of the building itself.”
The planners said the balcony would also represent an “incongruous domestic addition that is at odds with the simple functional character of the agricultural buildings from which Maplewood Barn derives its significance.”
They added: “By introducing an overtly domestic feature which obscures and diminishes the prominence of the historic threshing opening and erodes the agricultural character of the former farmstead.”
View 5 Images
A Netflix documentary showcased the Beckhams’ kitchen(Image: Netflix)
Several documents were submitted by the Beckhams in support of their application. They wrote: “The proposed replacement Crittall-style screen and doors, together with the new oak-framed balcony to the west elevation, have been carefully designed to consider the character and significance of Maplewood Barn and its listed setting.
“The works are to the modern west range constructed as part of the approved barn conversion and will not result in the loss of, or harm to, any historic fabric associated with the original Grade II listed buildings.
“The replacement glazing will match the existing design, proportions, and colour, ensuring visual continuity with the existing barns, while the oak balcony introduces a simple and sympathetic addition that reflects existing timber detailing within the development.
“Given the small scale of the proposals, and their location within a later addition to the dwelling, it is considered that the works preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the listed buildings and their setting.” No public comments were submitted, but it comes six years after the Beckhams fought a furious planning battle with neighbours at their Holland Park home in London over renovation plans – including their desire for a balcony.
In 2020, they eventually lost the battle to stop the neighbour drastically updating a posh property close to their £31million townhouse. The A-listers had expressed fears that the neighbour’s architect was creating a whole new patio area, including a first-floor balcony that might overlook their back garden.
Amended plans were approved when a council officer’s report dismissed any privacy fears. At the time, they stated: “There are no concerns with the impact of the proposal on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers in terms of light, sense of enclosure, noise or privacy.”
The couple have also been involved in multiple rows over work at their Grade-II listed country house at Maplewood Barn, near Great Tew. Since buying the three listed barns for £6,150,000 in 2016, they have added a new driveway and gates, an additional garage outbuilding, a tennis court, a treehouse, a security hut, an extension to the garage outbuilding and a landscaped pond.
Earlier this year, they were also given permission for a new driveway and access road to their Cotswolds home to try to avoid traffic heading to Soho Farmhouse.
Neighbours had also previously accused the Beckhams of “bringing suburbia” to the countryside and ridiculed the string of changes they have made to the estate.
One angry neighbour said earlier he “wouldn’t be surprised if the celebrity couple applied for a funfair ride to be installed in the garden”. They also won their latest planning battle to light up theirnkidney-shaped pond in the sprawling gardens.
Concern had previously been raised that the Beckhams had overstepped the planning consent when the pond and a ‘private beach’ appeared in a Netflix documentary.
They were later granted permission for the “enlargement of approved pond and inclusion of an island” and recently managed to satisfy conditions around details of external lighting and a comprehensive landscape scheme.
