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.”