David and Victoria Beckham can claim victory having been granted permission to install decorative lighting at their Cotswolds home.
The lights will be installed around their lakeside property in Great Tew, near Chipping Norton, at their £6.15 million estate.
West Oxfordshire District Council approved the plans despite objections from long-time critic James Worthington, who lives in Australia.
Mr Worthington said: “If the applicants want to live in suburbia, then why come to an area like Great Tew?”
He also described the lighting as “Blackpool-style” and said the couple’s planning approach lacked a long-term vision for their Grade II-listed property.
The home of David Beckham (Image: Photo: Oxford Mail)
Mr Worthington accused the Beckhams of turning the countryside into “Miami or Florida” and said their plans were out of place in a rural setting.
He has been working outside the UK since 2019
The council approved the Beckhams’ application, which includes festoon lighting, a hot tub, and a firepit on the lake’s island—some of which had already been installed without permission.
The couple were also granted permission to use non-motorised boats on the 4,170 square-metre lake, which their planning team referred to as a “pond.”
PA REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2025. File photo dated 04/11/25: Sir David Beckham, with his wife Lady Victoria, after he was made a Knight Bachelor at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Issue date: Monday December 15, 2025. PA Photo. Photo c (Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Planning officer Nathan Harris said the revised plans would not have a significant impact on nearby residents or the environment.
Mr Harris said: “Given the rural location of the site and the nature of the amendments proposed, officers do not consider that the revised landscaping or lighting details would result in any material adverse impacts on the amenity of neighbouring occupiers.
“The submitted lighting scheme has been specifically designed to minimise light spill and ecological impact, and no objections have been raised by the council’s ecologist following submission of the amended plans.”
The decision came with conditions, including a ban on motorised boats and a recommendation not to use the firepit during the March to August bird nesting season.
The council’s ecology team supported the lighting scheme, though they questioned the need for some elements.
In a letter, the team said: “I would question the need for the spotlights at either end of the boardwalk across to the island, as there are also downlighters on posts, but I don’t necessarily have a major issue with these, now that the spotlights lighting up the trees have been removed.”
Despite Mr Worthington’s concerns about the potential impact on wildlife, the council found no grounds for objection.
The Beckhams have submitted at least 30 planning applications for the estate over the past decade, leading some to accuse them of “abusing” the planning system.
Earlier this year, they won a separate planning dispute over a new driveway, allowing them to avoid sharing access with visitors to the nearby Soho Farmhouse.
