Footballer is accused of playing dirty over plans for ‘ugly’ £7m mansion
THE residents of Cobham in Surrey, dubbed the ‘Beverly Hills of Britain’, are well used to welcoming footballers to their idyllic village.
With Chelsea FC’s training ground round the corner, it is only natural that the players (not to mention their WAGs and supercars) should settle in some of the large homes there.
But plans for England international Gary Cahill and his wife Gemma to knock down a house and replace it with a £ 6million-£ 7million, fivebedroom ‘mega mansion’ have angered the neighbours.
A dozen residents in the Fairmile Estate are crying foul over the way planning consent was granted.
In May last year a ‘Mrs Barker’ wrote to Elmbridge Borough Council praising the work that the Cahill’s developers Hyatt Group would carry out.
Mrs Barker wrote: ‘As a longstanding resident I would like to offer my fullhearted support of this application.
‘The objections to date are unfounded as the scheme is no different in size to those recently approved nor are there any trees of merit being removed.
‘Significant boundary screening is to remain ensuring privacy to all sides. Separation to boundaries is also well considered.’
What the council may not have known is that Mrs Jade C Barker is married to Hyatt Group Ltd’s CEO Auday Tokatly. Until 2011 she was also its company secretary. They live in Regency House in the middle of the Fairmile Estate.
But even before Cahill, 30, has even moved in – and as just three men could be seen working on the foundations of the property this week – residents on the estate have complained.
‘This huge block of cement is not in keeping with the surrounding properties,’ wrote one.
‘It would be an ugly, out of keeping house not in the spirit of our semi-rural estate,’ argued another.
John Stevens, 84, who has lived on the estate for 45 years, wrote: ‘What we do object to is ridiculously large buildings which are concreting over gardens and filling up plots at the expense of felling mature trees and destroying wildlife.’ When the Daily Mail contacted Mrs Barker/Tokatly about her support for her husband’s work, she replied with ‘no comment’ before adding: ‘I live on the road so I have an opinion.’
Contacted at his offices in Esher, Surrey, a staff member said Mr Tokatly would not be making any comment.
A spokesman for Elmbridge Borough Council issued a statement which read: ‘Elmbridge Borough Council has a duty to accept letters in connection with planning applications.
‘ We are not required to conduct background checks on people who write in connection with planning applications.’