The luxurious £2m underground mansion designed to keep away prying eyes
Developers have announced plans for a £2m subterranean property, which will be entered via an unassuming door at ground level and descend up to 50ft below.
Several footballers are believed to be engaged in a desperate battle to buy the underground property, in a bid for maximum privacy.
Underground lair: An artist's impression of the jacuzzi in Britain's first underground house currently being built in Bowdon, Cheshire
Secret entrance: The plot where the house is due to be built in the gardens of Limehurst a former eight-bedroomed home converted into flats.
The plans were unveiled after wealthy residents in an upmarket Cheshire neighbourhood complained about the tacky Footballers Wives-style mansions being built above ground in the area,many of which are home to Premiership stars.
The new house, however, is barely visible beneath the landscaped gardens of a Victorian apartment block in the exclusive Devisdale area of Bowdon, near Altrincham.
Despite protests from 29 locals who called it a 'degeneration of the area,' Trafford Council granted planning permission for developer Huntsmere to go ahead with the build.
Tory councillor Michael Young, who opposed the planning committee's decision, said today: 'It is simply not in character with the area.
'A lot of trees will be removed and the whole point of the conservation area is that the larger houses have lots of trees.
'One of these planning applications was rejected so they have kept the same theme by going underground with it. The developers have just got around the initial rejection and there is considerable objection in the local area.
Luxurious family home: Many of the rooms, like this reception area, are 'wedge'-shaped and surround the main source of natural light from a dome window above the central atrium
'What concerns me is when we have got these old beautiful houses and there isn't so much need for eight bedroomed houses with several reception rooms anymore, so people are making drastic changes to them which changes the whole look of the place.
'They used to be the houses for the cotton kings - and now they are footballer mansions.
'I just don't understand who would want to live underground.
'Any new building in the area needs to be tasteful so they don't lose the character of the area and going around digging houses in gardens definitely changes that.'
The entrance to the two-storey, three-bedroom mansion, named the Earth House, is a front door disguised as a 2.6m-high garden folly, leading to a central spiral staircase down to the main hallway and living area on the lower ground floor.
Eco-friendly: One of the three bedrooms in the planned Bowdon house. The developer claims it will require up to 75 per cent less fossil fuel than a regular family home
The underground house will feature a state-of-the-art kitchen
The main source of natural light will come from a dome window behind the front door.
Many of the rooms are 'wedge'-shaped, and surround a central atrium.
The main reception rooms and kitchen are located on the lower ground floor as well as the master bedroom suite.
The second level below will have two more bedrooms plus gym, swimming pool and jacuzzi.
Chris Oakes of Huntsmere, which is developing the property said: 'We are absolutely thrilled with the decision by the council and very excited by the challenges of building a luxurious family home entirely underground.
'We have quite a few bespoke developments under our belt that include elements housed underground, but this will be the first entirely subterranean home we have built.'
Mr Oakes said the fact that the property was underground would make it more eco-friendly as it would be well-insulated.
Underworld: The luxurious underground mansion is being built beneath the grounds of Limehurst, a Victorian property converted into flats
The house will be heated by an underfloor heating system, while hot water will come from a large-scale ground source heat pump which uses heat exchange technology to capture warmth in the ground to heat the house.
Mr Oakes said the the property would be fitted with a state-of-the-art ventilation system, and claimed that it would require up to 75 per cent less fossil fuel than a regular family home.
He said: 'There are some very sensible and practical reasons for developing down as opposed to upwards. The property has very little impact on the surrounding environment.
'It is easy to heat in winter and to keep cool in summer; and by incorporating the highest standards in renewable design solutions the energy demands of the building can be cut to almost zero.
'I am confident that this house in Bowdon will become an architectural landmark - albeit one that most people will never see.'
Trafford's Labour Councillor Laurence Walsh said: 'I think this proposal is innovative and exciting. I am absolutely supportive of it. I don't think it will have the impact on residents that they genuinely feel.
'It does not set a precedent. Each application is considered on its own merits,' he added.
.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment