David and Victoria Beckham win battle over Love Island plans

The celebrity couple were granted planning permission back in 2020 for a kidney-shaped pond in the sprawling gardens of their Cotswold mansion.

But the green light was only given with extremely specific conditions to ensure it would “sit well within its rural context.”

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.

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Sir David Beckham, and wife Lady Victoria Beckham walk inside Nu Stadium in Miami. (Image: Rebecca Blackwell / PA)

A fresh planning application has now been approved to satisfy two conditions laid out when the Beckhams were later granted permission for the “enlargement of approved pond and inclusion of an island”.

The Beckhams, who have previously been accused of ‘drip-feeding’ applications, are now seeking additional planning permission to build an extra section of driveway within their garden.

They want to link their driveway to a recently approved new access road from Ledwell Lane that was built to avoid having to use a single-lane cul-de-sac described as the sole access to Soho Farmhouse.

The couple were told that before the site comes into use, details of external lighting must be submitted and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

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Latest plans for landscaping around David Beckham’s pond. (Image: West Oxon District Council / SWNS)

They had to show the type and location of the lighting so it could be “clearly demonstrated that light spillage into wildlife corridors will be minimised as much as possible.”

The council said: “Under no circumstances should any other external lighting be installed without prior consent from the local planning authority.”

This was to “protect foraging and commuting bats” the report added.

The second condition the Beckhams have now been given permission to discharge is the requirement to submit a comprehensive landscape scheme.

The council added: “The scheme must show details of all planting areas, tree and plant species, numbers and planting sizes.

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Sir David Beckham, Lady Victoria Beckham and Brooklyn Beckham in 2019. (Image: Matt Crossick / PA)

“The proposed means of enclosure and screening should also be included, together with details of any mounding, walls and fences and hard surface materials to be used throughout the proposed development.”

As part of the freshly approved application, Portus + Whitton set out a framework for maintenance of the site for a five year period.

Images produced by the Beckhams also showed the type of lighting and the location of trees that are planned by them.

A decision on the application was made by West Oxfordshire Council earlier this month.

The Beckhams have previously submitted multiple applications for work at their Grade-II listed country house.

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Sir David and Lady Victoria Beckham’s estate in the Cotswolds. (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

Since buying the three listed barns for £6,150,000 in 2016, the couple 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.

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”.

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Lady Victoria Beckham and Sir David Beckham. (Image: Andrew Matthews / PA)

The Beckhams also want to replace a short section of temporary construction track from the boundary of their garden to the machinery store.

When the access lane to Ledwell Lane was approved, the couple angered neighbours over plans to build a new access road to their Cotswolds home to try to avoid traffic heading to Soho Farmhouse.

The celebrity pair have applied for planning permission to turn an agricultural track into a tarmac-laid access for their Maplewood Barn home.

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David Beckham (Image: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire)

They have applied to West Oxfordshire District Council for a change of use of part of the existing agricultural track to form a secondary residential access.

The couple want to extend the track to connect to their existing driveway and improve the existing dropped kerb access and gates onto Ledwell Lane.

The Beckhams said previously through a representative: “Ledwell Lane is a two-way rural road operating within capacity with a benign collision record; Tracey Lane is a single-track cul-de-sac serving residential properties, Great Tew Estate land and the only visitor access to Soho Farmhouse, experiencing high traffic and frequent conflicts and delays at peak periods.”

But the bid was met with criticism from neighbours, and one wrote in an objection: “The house already has a perfectly serviceable access road, so why is another stretch of tarmac laid through the woods deemed a good idea.

A decision on the new driveway access will be made by West Oxfordshire District Council at a later date.