EVANS BUILDS £15M BONANZA
DJ Chris wants to bulldoze mansion – to make way for luxury flats
CHRIS EVANS could be in line for another bumper pay day if his plans to build 14 luxury apartments worth £1-1.2million each are approved.
The DJ, who took his salary to £2million when he left the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show for Virgin Radio this year, wants to bulldoze an eight-bedroom mansion he owns in Ascot, Berkshire.
It would be replaced by 14 apartments, with underground parking, set in landscaped gardens on green belt land.
The scheme would include eight threebedroom apartments and six twobedroom ones, all with balconies and terraces. An existing swimming pool and tennis court would be retained for communal use of the residents.
It is the second time that Evans, 52, has submitted plans for the site, close to the
‘We want to protect the green belt’
upmarket village of Sunninghill and less than a mile from Ascot racecourse. The first set of proposals, dating from six months ago, included plans for 12 apartments and three houses with triple garages. That was later withdrawn following complaints from neighbours in the quiet street who said it was a ‘massive overdevelopment’.
The Society for the Protection of Ascot and Environs said it would ‘more than triple the volume of vehicle movements along [the lane]’. And Sunninghill and Ascot Parish Council described the flats as ‘inappropriate for green belt and out of character with surrounding properties’.
Developers Millgate have since submitted fresh plans to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council on Evans’ behalf.
The latest scheme is smaller and would see the construction of a new access road, further away from an existing junction.
But neighbours are still not happy, saying the plans were not in keeping with the rural area. One man said: ‘This area used to be full of large houses and there wasn’t much traffic – now there are a lot more new developments and flats and the traffic is horrendous.
‘If he goes ahead with a block of flats … it’s not in keeping with the nature of Sunninghill and it’s only going to make things worse. The area does not have the infrastructure to deal with this.’
An elderly couple who live nearby said: ‘Last time we were not happy with his proposals and if not much has changed we’ll be putting in an objection.
‘Large blocks of flats don’t belong in this area and there is already a lot of congestion, which will continue to get worse. We also want to protect the green belt and nature. However, the council is under pressure to build more accommodation so there is that to think about as well.’
Despite the idyllic nature of the area there is regular traffic congestion, especially as buses and large lorries try to navigate the narrow roads.
Evans bought the property in 2009 for £3.4million and the following year paid £3.5million for the nine-bedroom mansion next door. But he does not live in them. He and wife Natasha Shishmanian, 39, are thought to reside in a third property in Ascot with their four children. A decision on the scheme is due in May.