Blur star Alex James is main a well-heeled revolt in opposition to the growth of a vacation chalet park close to his personal ‘very large home’ within the nation.
The bassist – whose single Nation Home beat Oasis’s Roll With It to the highest of the charts within the well-known ‘battle of Britpop’ in 1995 – is preventing with a neighbour within the Cotswolds to stop the event.
James, 54, blasted the ‘cynical’ plan to put 12 vacation chalets with sizzling tubs close to the boundary of his 200-acre farm, describing the 4m-tall wood chalets as ‘odd, out of character and alien to the delicate location’.
Native councillors in West Oxfordshire overruled the official suggestion to grant Bluewood Lodges 12 extra chalets on the location, which is in an Space Of Pure Magnificence (AONB), however an attraction is prone to comply with.
Blur star Alex James, 54, is main a well-heeled revolt in opposition to the growth of a vacation chalet park close to his personal ‘very large home’ within the nation
James blasted the ‘cynical’ plan to put 12 vacation chalets with sizzling tubs close to the boundary of his 200-acre farm, describing the 4m-tall wood chalets as ‘odd, out of character and alien to the delicate location’
James co-hosts an annual meals and music ‘Feastival’ at his farm in Kingham, Oxon, with superstar chef Jamie Oliver. He’s married to Claire Neate, a music video producer, they usually have 5 kids collectively.
A supply mentioned: ‘A number of rich folks in Kingham are determined to dam this growth – this may be one of many solely reasonably priced locations for households to remain within the space.’
The musician is just not the one member of the so-called Chipping Norton Set to object to the plan.
Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, proper, Jeremy Clarkson, left, and James met up at an area pageant organised by rock musician Alex James
Native councillors in West Oxfordshire overruled the official suggestion to grant Bluewood Lodges 12 extra chalets on the location, which is in an Space Of Pure Magnificence (AONB), however an attraction is prone to comply with
A supply mentioned: ‘A number of rich folks in Kingham are determined to dam this growth – this may be one of many solely reasonably priced locations for households to remain within the space’
Racehorse coach Charlie Brooks, husband of Information UK chief govt Rebekah Brooks who additionally lives nearby– branded it ‘an absolute catastrophe’ and warned permitting the event would ‘open the floodgates for related initiatives within the space’.
He added: ‘It could be an absolute catastrophe to our AONB if this inexperienced area growth was allowed to happen. It’s completely opposite to the idea of an AONB and would open the flood gates for related initiatives within the space.’
Banker Hugh van Cutsem – an in depth good friend of King Charles because the pair studied collectively at Cambridge College – was additionally amongst scores of objections from well-heeled locals, claiming it will set a ‘harmful precedent’.
However James, who has already spent hundreds hiring consultants and different consultants to combat the plan, is on the vanguard of the opposition, with no fewer than 5 of the 43 opposing paperwork already submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council lodged on his behalf.
In addition to his personal objection, he has additionally commissioned stories from transport consultants and a ‘critique’ from panorama planning consultants to bolster his argument.
The musician is just not the one member of the so-called Chipping Norton Set to object to the plan
James, who has already spent hundreds hiring consultants and different consultants to combat the plan, is on the vanguard of the opposition, with no fewer than 5 of the 43 opposing paperwork already submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council
The preliminary software from Rachel Cochrane-Edwards, 56, proprietor of Bluewood Lodges, was for 18 vacation chalets, every 40ft by 20ft, however after preliminary objections it was scaled again to 12, with further screening from planted bushes.
However in his objections, James accuses Bluewood Lodges of harbouring a ‘cynical gameplan’ to later add to the full with the opposite six chalets which have been withdrawn.
He provides: ‘The road have to be drawn right here. The applicant’s the rest land will inevitably develop into an prolonged and unpleasant caravan park too. Based mostly on present density this may quantity to over 100 further caravans.’
One letter of help comes from vacation agency Awaze Trip Leases, which describes the plan as bringing ‘financial advantages to Kingham and the encircling space’ and permitting ‘guests to get pleasure from this stunning space with out shopping for vacation houses, thus negating any fears that the growth can be “pushing up” the pricing of the native property market.’
Alex James’ transport consultants object that some guests to the lodges come by practice and face a dangerous stroll to the vacation park alongside 60mph roads with out footpaths, however the declare is dismissed by consultants on behalf of the County Council’s Highways Division, which doesn’t oppose the plan, saying: ‘The expertise of the applicant is that few visitors journey to and from Bluewood Park by practice.
‘Those who do, being laden with baggage, are unlikely to decide on to stroll the 1.6km to entry Bluewood Park. We’d recommend {that a} taxi journey is way extra possible.’
The Battle of Britpop, pitching middle-class grammar and personal college southerners Blur vs working class brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, captured the general public creativeness within the Summer time of 1995, however Oasis had the final snigger, outselling Blur’s whole album gross sales by greater than 10:1, with a complete of greater than 70 million worldwide.
Alex James has been contacted for remark.
