Harry Potter star Rupert Grint has claimed victory in his battle with neighbours to turn part of his country estate into three eco-friendly family homes.
The 33-year-old found fame as Ron Weasley when he was just 11 and has amassed a £40million fortune working on the eight movies adapted from JK Rowling’s books.
He has since used his wealth to create a sprawling multi-million pound property business and has conjured up plans to turn an old domestic storage barn in the grounds of his 18th Century mansion in Hertfordshire, into three separate three-bedroom homes.
The actor, who starred in the Apple TV drama Servant, grew up in nearby Watton-at-Stone and bought the luxurious property for £5.4million in 2009.
The former vicarage has six bedrooms and a private cinema and lies in 22 acres of parkland including an indoor leisure centre with a swimming pool, jacuzzi, gym, cinema and games room with a second outdoor pool, tennis court, staff flat and two cottages.
Grint tried to sell the pad for £6million last year but failed to find a buyer so decided to turn the barn into residential homes.
Harry Potter star Rupert Grint, 33, has claimed victory in his battle with neighbours to turn a barn on his Hertfordshire country estate into three eco-friendly family homes
Grint used his wealth to create a sprawling multi-million pound property business and has conjured up plans to turn an old domestic storage barn in the grounds of his 18th Century mansion in Hertfordshire, into three separate three-bedroom homes
The star has faced furious opposition from residents and the Wildlife Trust to plans for the conversion
He originally applied to the local council for six dwellings but withdrew the application after the council deemed it too many and later submitted amended plans for just three.
But the star still failed to cast a spell over his neighbours and the local wildlife trust.
In a letter of objection, neighbour Tim James wrote: ‘I object to this development due to the impact on the local road network.
‘Often in pre-Covid times, this resulted in serious congestion in the mornings as there simply is not room to pass lorries and buses which are traversing in the opposite direction.’
He added: ‘The proposed entry and exit for refuse lorries to this development will further exacerbate this problem.’
Middlesex Wildlife Trust also objected to the plans due to a lack of extensive ecological research to see if bats – a protected species – were roosting in the barn.
Middlesex Wildlife Trust also objected to the plans due to a lack of extensive ecological research to see if bats – a protected species – were roosting in the barn
Planners at North Hertfordshire Council have now given the development go-ahead, even though the proposed site lies within a designated conservation area and on green belt land
The 33-year-old found fame as Ron Weasley when he was just 11 and has amassed a £40million fortune working on the eight movies adapted from JK Rowling’s books
But in a letter of support, another neighbour wrote: ‘The re-use of the existing structure in itself is a very significant saving of carbon and should not be overlooked when considering the carbon footprint and hence input energy often forgotten part of energy equation.’
Planners at North Hertfordshire Council have now given the development go-ahead, even though the proposed site lies within a designated conservation area and on green belt land.
‘The change of use of the existing storage barn to three three-bedroom dwellings would not result in any increase to the external scale of the building.
‘It is therefore considered that the development would not be inappropriate development in the green belt given that the development would not result in any disproportionate additions over and above the size of the existing building.
‘The principle of development in this location is therefore considered acceptable.’
In a design statement, Grint’s planning agent said: ‘The sustainability of credentials of the proposed will result in efficiently running new homes with little impact upon the earth and minimal household bills for future occupiers’
Grint’s property empire is now worth £24million, as he has snapped up and sold an array of houses in the Hertfordshire commuter belt
The three-bedroom houses will have a ‘spacious’ open-plan living and dining area and each of the bedrooms will have an en-suite, and each home will have its own private garden.
Owners will be able to use some of Grint’s country estate as their own private space and there will be a new footpath link to the village of Kimpton.
Air source heat pumps will be used for heating and hot water with low energy lighting and rainwater harvesting from an underground tank for toilet flushing, watering gardens and car washing.
There will also be a ‘flat green roof’ made up of plants which will encourage wildlife nesting.
In a design statement, Grint’s planning agent said: ‘The sustainability of credentials of the proposed will result in efficiently running new homes with little impact upon the earth and minimal household bills for future occupiers.’
Grint certainly appears to have the magic touch when it comes to his property empire as he recently put three homes on the market for £2million – which were modelled on the Dursleys’ Privet Drive home in Harry Potter.
His property empire is now worth £24million, as he has snapped up and sold an array of houses in the Hertfordshire commuter belt.
According to the latest figures, Grint made a £3million profit in the past year from his company Clay 10 Ltd, which is worth a whopping £20.3million.