The Beckhams forked out a fortune on the detached London home in September 2013 and have spent the past 18 months preparing detailed plans to transform it into a fine family residence. But the couple have come across a stumbling block after their next-door neighbor wrote a strongly worded letter objecting to plans for air-conditioning.
They want to install air-con in five rooms, which includes the house’s own gym and large wine cellar on the lower ground floor.
But the neighbor “totally disagrees” with the plans, which “will affect the historic character of the Victorian house of the streets, my house included”.
The resident wrote: “The council must identify our deep concerns about all adverse impacts on living conditions from noise, vibration, dirt, pollution and dust from construction.”
They also expressed concerns about “associated traffic, in addition to concerns about impacts on drainage, on appearance and landscape, on structural stability, and on historic buildings.”
The Beckhams have hired designer Rose Uniacke to oversee the project and plans for “internal alterations at all levels” were approved in February this year.
This included the enlargement of the lower ground floor wine cellar and the installation of a retractable cinema screen. They also want to re-configure two bathrooms while removing a third-floor guest bathroom to form an extended bedroom and sitting room. When ready, the central London pad will have six-bedrooms, a gym, study, office, playroom, cinema and large drawing room. The first floor will belong to David and Victoria, and boast a huge bedroom, an even bigger dressing room and an en-suite bathroom.
Courtesy: Express