David and Victoria Beckham appear to be continuing to use a wood burner or traditional open fire at their Cotswolds home after submitting plans for a new log store.
The former England star and his wife want to add the lean-to covered storage area to the side of a proposed new outbuilding and office which already has planning consent.
It suggests that they want to continue having cosy nights in front of a roaring fire during the winter, instead of relying on more eco-friendly methods of heating such as an electric heat pump.
The celebrity couple have applied to build the log store and a separate hipped bay with double doors on either end of the proposed building which already features parking bays for vehicles such as tractors, lawnmowers, buggies and quad bikes.
David Beckham, pictured here with his dogs, could become an amateur lumberjack chopping up wood for an open fire at his home
The Beckhams have applied for permission to build a new log store at their £6million home in the Cotswolds. Pictured are plans submitted to the local council with the application
But the store will make it easier for the Beckhams to keep their own supply of dry wood which is viewed as less polluting than wet wood.
The Government last year introduced new rules to phase out sales of wet wood and traditional house coal which are seen as major contributors to air pollution.
The Beckhams have applied to West Oxfordshire District Council to have the work done at their £6million home at Chipping Norton.
Planning documents reveal that David, 47, and Victoria, 48, also propose ‘minor alterations to the layout’ of the outbuilding at their home which is made out of three barn and farm buildings joined together.
The design and access statement for the plans says: ‘The proposed additions take the form of a simple hipped roof, half bay with double doors to the west gable end, and an open sided lean-to covered log store to the east gable.
‘Both proposed additions are substantially lower than the ridge height of the approved detached outbuilding and minor in scale.
According to planning documents, the log store will make it easier for the family to store dry wood, which is less polluting than wet wood
‘They are of traditional design and form, typical of the sort of additions made to traditional farm outbuildings.
‘A small alteration to the approved layout is also proposed, with the north wall of the enclosed bay moving in line with the front of the building.
‘The proposed outbuilding providing office and stores will be completed using the same high quality materials as approved.
‘This includes waney edged, horizontal weatherboard cladding to the walls, a plain clay tiled roof, timber doors and Crittall style metal windows.
‘The timber post and beam frame will be supported on staddle stones in local ironstone.’
The two extensions will boost the floor area of the outbuilding by 28-square metres if approved.
The planned outbuilding which has an oak frame and a herringbone stone floor already features a small office space with insulated walls, and a rainwater butt.
The plans are due to be the latest in a series of improvements planned by the Beckhams since they bought their Grade II listed home in December 2016.
They were granted planning permission for the outbuilding last year on condition they protect ‘bats, birds, badgers, hedgehogs, reptiles and amphibian’ on their land.
Council officials insisted that they erect at least one bat box and a bird box on the new building which is planned to replace an old outbuilding.
West Oxfordshire District Council will make a decision on whether the work can go ahead at the Beckhams home in Chipping Norton
They also required the planting of at least six different tree species to create ‘native’ hedgerows around the new development.
It was also noted that the Beckhams must have ‘a five-year aftercare maintenance plan’ with ‘no external lighting’ that could harm wildlife.
Their countryside estate, located close to the private member’s club, Soho Farmhouse, already includes a football pitch, an outdoor pool, and a sauna.
It is also said to contain a wine cellar, a plunge pool, and an enormous garage, fitted with expensive cars and a motorbike.
The Beckham family currently bounce between their Oxfordshire home, a £31 million mansion in London, and a £19 million penthouse in Miami, Florida.
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