The couple had applied to install an oak balcony on the western elevation of Maplewood Barn, their Grade II-listed country estate in the Cotswolds, but the proposal was rejected by West Oxfordshire District Council.
Planning officers said the balcony would be “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.”
David and Victoria Beckham’s home in Oxfordshire (Image: Tom Wren/SWNS)
They argued that the addition would damage the architectural integrity of the property’s original barn conversion and said it would offer “Officers consider that no public benefits have been identified which would outweigh the identified heritage harm.”
The Beckhams’ plan was the 44th application.
Their recent application included replacing the first-floor screen and Crittall-style doors with a larger opening leading to the proposed oak-framed balcony.
In documents submitted to the council, the Beckhams said: “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.”
They also argued: “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.”
However, West Oxfordshire planners disagreed, stating the balcony would obscure a historic threshing opening and undermine the site’s heritage value.
This is not the first time the Beckhams have faced planning disputes at the property.
Since acquiring the estate, they have secured permission for various additions, including a new driveway and gates, an extra garage, a tennis court, a treehouse, and a security hut.
They have also faced objections from neighbours, with one previously saying he “wouldn’t be surprised if the celebrity couple applied for a funfair ride to be installed in the garden.”
A more recent proposal for a lit, kidney-shaped pond was approved, despite earlier concerns about planning consent.