Neighbours’ fury over Stella’s 5ft sandbag wall blocking them from exclusive beach
STELLA McCartney has left residents of an ultra-fashionable US resort furious after she blocked their access to the beach by building a 5ft-high sea wall.
The fashion designer put up the 230ft-long barrier in front of her £1.35 million home in the Hamptons to stop erosion, amid fears that it could eventually fall into the sea.
However, the line of sandbags runs across a road leading to the beach that should be open to those living on the private avenue.
Stella, 47, and husband Alasdhair Willis, creative director at boot brand Hunter, bought their threebedroom oceanfront home and adjoining land three years ago. After erosion claimed 40ft of shoreline in a year, they joined forces with a neighbour to build the wall to save both properties.
It went up last July but the permit for it with Town of East Hampton council expired in April this year.
Although the resort in Long Island, New York, is now a millionaires’ playground – Stella’s father Sir Paul, 77, has had a home in the Hamptons since the 1990s and her friend Gwyneth Paltrow, 46, also has a property there – many residents have lived there for decades and either hold down regular jobs or are retired.
Plumber Peter Fromm, 58, who has lived there 35 years, said: ‘We’ve lived here a lot longer than Stella McCartney and then she does this.’
Widow Paula Easevoli, 74, a resident since 1972, added: ‘As far as I am aware, at no time did Stella McCartney consult any of us about what we thought.’
The designer is willing to remove the sandbags across the 30ft-wide access road and run them around the side of her house, according to new papers filed to the council earlier this month.
The concession comes after her latest application was discussed at a public meeting, and angry neighbours spoke out against her.
Builder Steve Graboski, 60, said: ‘What bothers me most is the sheer arrogance of it. As in “I need this and it’s going to block the road and I really don’t care.”’
Ex-paramedic Joseph Karpinski, 36, added: ‘I would really like to use my road and my beach again.’
Stella’s lawyer Jonathan Tarbet said the star wanted to keep the wall for at least two years to save the house, while building a new home on the land behind it. A decision on the new application is due next month.
The council’s head building inspector, Ann Glennon, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Strictly speaking that structure is currently there illegally. They should have removed it after April.’