Oxford News
Beckhams in Cotswolds war with neighbour who lives 9,000 miles away
The former Manchester United and England footballer and his Spice Girl wife have lived at the spot for around a decade.
Their Great Tew estate is situated along an unnamed road opposite Soho Farmhouse, an exclusive private members’ club.
Found on two acres of land, the barn conversion has had extensive renovations, including a glasshouse, a large pond, an underground wine cellar and an Astroturf football pitch.
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The 14,270 sq ft property was built in 2018 and includes nine bedrooms, four bathrooms, a movie theatre and even a gym.
On several previous occasions, the celebrity family has clashed with locals over plans at the home.
Now, a man who has repeatedly objected to plans for the celebrity couple’s luxury Cotswolds home is based more than 9,000 miles away, it has emerged.
James Worthington has filed multiple objections to planning applications for the couple’s Grade II-listed property near Great Tew, Oxfordshire, criticising proposals he claims would bring “suburbia-style” elements to the countryside.
In written objections, he has accused the Beckhams of trying to turn the rural area into “Miami or Florida” and has taken particular issue with features around their man‑made lake at the property, known as Maplewood Barn.
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The Beckhams have submitted a series of planning bids for their estate, including the installation of LED lighting around the lake.
In letters sent to West Oxfordshire District Council in 2023 and 2026, Mr Worthington alleged the couple were eroding the village’s rural character and “drip‑feeding” applications rather than setting out a wider plan for the site.
In one objection, he wrote: “What is proposed is more akin to Miami or Florida, NOT GREAT TEW.”
He also questioned the proposed lighting, asking: “Spotlights, is this really Great Tew or have I mistaken this area for Blackpool?”
Although his correspondence gives the impression he is a local resident, Mr Worthington acknowledged in one letter that he had been “working away from the UK since 2019”, while providing an address in Perth, Western Australia, according to The Times.
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Residents in Great Tew, which has around 160 people, told the newspaper they did not recognise his name.
John Mitchinson, chairman of Great Tew’s parish meetings, said: “Mr Worthington is a mystery to all of us.
“We have never heard of him, and as far as we know, he does not live in Great Tew.”
Another long‑standing villager, Mr Richard Davis, 80, who has lived there for about 60 years, added: “This Mr Worthington character is definitely not a villager, I can guarantee that.”
The Thames Valley Police Abingdon unit arrested a man for “breaching court bail conditions” on Saturday, August 29.
A spokesperson said: “On Saturday, PC Hackett attended reports of a male breaching court bail conditions.
READ MORE: Public told ‘DO NOT APPROACH’ as wanted man sighted in Oxford centre
“With assistance from PC Ellingworth and PC Harvey, the male was arrested. Following a search, a knife was recovered from his possession.”
In a wide ranging update, the force also revealed it had supported in a “concern for welfare incident linked to the night-time economy.
In addition, it had carried out licensing checks across Abingdon with drug wipes used and sent off for testing
OXFORD Mail Camera Club members have been taking photos of their dogs
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The collision happened on the southbound carriageway between Junction 6 for Lewknor and Junction 5 for Watlington in the late morning on Saturday, August 29.
The emergency services attended the scene and closed the road,
National Highways said lanes two and three of the three-lane motorway were shut as a result while crews dealt with the incident, leading to delays of around 40 minutes.
Congestion was worsened by separate lane closures between Junctions 4 and 5 in both directions following damage to the central reservation from an earlier incident.
Traffic built up on approaches to the crash, with nearby areas including Stokenchurch and Lewknor also affected.
Images from traffic cameras showed long queues of vehicles and emergency workers at the scene throughout the afternoon.
AA Travel also reported that one lane was closed on the northbound carriageway between Handy Cross and Stokenchurch due to emergency repairs.
National Highways later confirmed that all southbound lanes between Junctions 6 and 5 had reopened and that the lane closures linked to the earlier incident were also being removed.
Despite the reopening, delays of around 40 minutes remained on the approach as traffic slowly returned to normal.
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