Neighbours of Cate Blanchett are celebrating the Hollywood star’s decision to abandon her plans to pave over a field at her £5million holiday home to build a car park.
The actress, 55, and her husband Andrew Upton bought and demolished a cottage in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall, in 2020 to make way for their four-bedroom eco-home.
She later applied to turn an additional plot of land into a driveway and parking for the home, leading to accusations of a ‘blatant land grab’.
Following a backlash, Blanchett has now ditched her plans to turn the field, which is being used as a construction compound during renovations, into a new access and parking area.
Locals who live near the seaside town – nicknamed ‘Hollywood-on-Sea’ because so many celebrities live there – are happy that she chose to withdraw the plans with the council.
Kerry Skinner (left) said Cate Blanchett was ‘upset’ by the backlash, while Stephanie Johnson (right) said she had made the right decision not to pursue the parking area in Mawgan Porth
Holidaymakers Kirsty Davey and Mark Wingfield, who have visited Mawgan Porth in Cornwall regularly for 12 years, felt development in the area had ‘gone too far’
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Cate Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton bought the former cottage in December 2020
Stephanie Johnson, 55, told MailOnline she thought Blanchett had made the right decision not to pursue the parking area.
She said: ‘I am happy she is not doing it, it sounds like the right thing to do.
‘I have been coming here all my life and lived here 25 years but I sold up six years ago because I just couldn’t afford to stay. I don’t closely follow local planning applications because I feel sad to think about it.
‘The holiday parks are closing to be replaced by big houses, who wants them? It massively affects who can come on holiday here.’
Joe Hunt, 80, a retired police officer from Tavistock, Devon, has been visiting Mawgan Porth regularly for decades.
He said: ‘I can see from one point of view it’s about bringing very wealthy people to the area but I am not sure how huge private houses and drives improve Mawgan Porth.
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
‘So many of the properties just look like black boxes. How often will they even be used?
‘I am not opposed to people developing the place but if neighbours felt strongly that it’s appropriate then I’m glad she listened to that.’
In a letter to Cornwall Council, Lord of the Rings actress Blanchett gave no reason for her decision but it comes following a strong backlash with a neighbour claiming that ‘noise’ from the construction ‘destroyed’ the holidays of her guests across the past year.
But Kerry Skinner, who has lived in the area for 19 years, said she felt Blanchett had been unfairly blamed for other nearby developments – and her house was far better than other recent construction projects including a massive clifftop house locals have dubbed ‘the spaceship’ and the ‘penis-shaped’ Scarlet Hotel.
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Ms Skinner said she spoke to Blanchett who was ‘upset’ by the backlash and believes the actress’s fame meant she was blamed for every nearby development.
She said: ‘She really cares about the area and the environment but has been unfairly blamed for neighbouring developments.
‘She bought the neighbouring land and I believe offered to let others use the parking. She was really quite upset. She was getting blamed for things before her building even started.
‘Unfortunately because she is who she is famous there is a pile on against her.’
Ms Skinner said the rise of second homes in recent years had destroyed the community.
She said: ‘There are only about 12 families left in Mawgan Porth who can afford to live here. Everything else has gone to second homes.
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
‘It used to be that every other house was somebody’s weekend home but we had a whole community, now that’s gone.
‘You would always see people you know walking their dogs around the bay, now it’s just holidaymakers. Unless they start building more affordable housing this bay is lost.’
When construction on Blanchett’s three-storey home is finished, it will boast a basement swimming pool and showers, as well as an area for surfboards and wetsuits.
At ground floor, it will have four bedrooms including a ‘bunk’ room with a first floor living room, kitchen, dining room, double-sided fireplace, terrace and walled garden.
A green sedum roof will have special boulder features to blend in with the beach below.
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
The beach at Mawgan Porth in Cornwall, where Cate Blanchett’s home is under construction
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
The beach at Mawgan Porth in Cornwall, where Cate Blanchett’s home is under construction
On the beach overlooked by the actress’s home, holidaymakers Kirsty Davey, 57, and Mark Wingfield, 50, who have visited regularly for 12 years, felt development in the area had ‘gone too far.
Ms Davey said: ‘It’s not locals, it’s all second homes because only wealthy people can afford to live here. It’s all just gone too far, I feel.
‘But parking is an absolute nightmare in Mawgan Porth so I can see why she would want additional parking.’
Mr Wingfield added: ‘I have noticed so many big modern places going up along the cliff. I don’t particularly mind the look of them.’
Land Registry records show that Blanchett bought the former cottage for £1.6million in December 2020, and then shelled out £1.25million a year later for the adjoining field.
The village of Mawgan Porth has been dubbed ‘Hollywood-on-Sea’ after actors Jason Statham, Jason Momoa and Jamie Dornan were also said to have snapped up holiday homes there.
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Blanchett also owns a £5million country estate near Crowborough, East Sussex, where she also bought up land next door – a £1.5million farmhouse with 100 acres.
Karen Burgess, who owns a neighbouring holiday let, alleged that ‘noise’ from the Cate’s construction ‘destroyed’ the holidays of her guests across the past year.
In a complaint filed to Cornwall Council’s planning portal, she claimed to have lost £60,000 in rental revenue due to the construction, Cornwall Live reported.
She claimed she was having to advertise her holiday home as being impacted by construction noise, but architect firm Watershedd insisted the noise was coming from another development rather than Cate’s.
In her January objection to the plans, she reportedly said: ‘I am deeply concerned that there has already been a total disregard for the noise that has destroyed the family holidays of all my guests […] throughout 2023.
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
The beach at Mawgan Porth in Cornwall, where Cate Blanchett’s home is under construction
Construction work continues on Cate Blanchett’s property in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
Cate Blanchett’s new build home is under construction in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall
‘The losses are more than £60,000 last year and still we are having to advertise as a property effected by building noise, we thought [Blanchett’s property] work was finally over and now there is a new application for ground works, this work should NOT be permitted during the holiday season.
‘Never before in the bay, have we ever experienced such a blatant disregard for the people who flock here for their holidays and residents’ enjoyment of the area during the holiday season.’
A spokesperson for Watershedd – the architect firm behind Blanchett#s build – denied her claims and said the noise was coming from other nearby developments.
They told Cornwall Live: ‘She cannot be referring to our clients’ property where there were no noisy works during the peak holiday period last year, once again, our clients’ property has been mistaken for other works going on in Mawgan Porth.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk