CHELSEA owner Roman Abramovich has been given the go-ahead to create a
£28million luxury spa and pool complex in the ground beneath his £125million
London megahome.
The Russian oligarch owns a mansion in West London in an area home to the
‘who’s who’ of high society.
But despite being a beautiful 16,000 sq/ft family home it wasn’t enough for
the Russian tycoon, who decided to give it an overhaul.
After eight months of planning work, the Chelsea
owner has been awarded permission to fill in his “miserable” swimming pool
and replace it with staff accommodation.
The billionaire can also start building a new subterranean leisure complex
with a swimming pool and steam room beneath the garden.
It will draw “on the language of Victorian subterranean construction across
London”.
It will have a vaulted ceiling, using either bricks or tiles, with light
entering via a series of planted water troughs in the garden immediately
above.
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After first submitting the plans in June 2015, the Royal Borough of Kensington
and Chelsea green-lit the proposals on Friday.
When completed, the Grade II listed mansion will have 20,000 sq/ft of living
space — making it around 20 times the size of the average UK home.
Alex Newall, boss of property agency Hanover Private Office, believes a house
like Abramovich’s would attract a lot of interest if it ever went up for
sale — even with a nine-figure price-tag.
He said: “It is one of the finest addresses in the world and arguable the best
in central London for stand alone mansions.
“Having developed the property, it is likely it would fetch an asking price in
excess of £125million — and there are people ready to pay for perfection.
“The street continues to see the world’s richest people trying to acquire
homes there. The favoured side of the street backs onto Hyde Park. Security
on Kensington Palace Gardens is exceptional as you’d expect.”
Abramovich bought his home, which was previously used by the Russian embassy,
in 2009.
And despite being worth more than £10billion, owning Chelsea FC and holidaying
on one of the world’s largest yachts, he’s not the wealthiest man on the
street.
That title goes to Chinese tycoon Wang Jianlin, who bought an £80million home
on the street last year. Wang’s fortune is estimated to be around
£20billion.
While Mr Abramovich’s plans have gone through with relative ease, one of his
neighbours is having a slightly more difficult experience.
Jon Hunt, the founder of Foxtons estate agents, wants to transform his home on
the tree-lined street into one of the largest private homes in London.
He was awarded planning permission but is facing legal challenges from
diplomats on the street, led by the French ambassador, who have teamed up
against Hunt, citing the Vienna Convention.
On top of annoying ambassadors, Mr Hunt has also irritated locals after he
applied to temporarily dismantle a boundary wall to facilitate the major
project.