Cate Blanchett's beachside renovations ‘making lives hell’ for Cornish villagers due to ‘non-stop drilling and banging’
25 October 2023, 21:04 | Updated: 25 October 2023, 21:10
Residents of Cornish village Mawgan Porth are 'angered' by Australian actress Cate Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton's renovations to their eco-home cottage.
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Ms Blanchett, 54, bought the £1.6 million cottage three years ago with her husband and has since demolished the original structure to replace it with a five-bedroom eco-home.
But the renovations have left neighbours disgruntled, as noise is making the residents' lives "hell", according to reports.
"When you open a window you hear drilling. It makes our lives a misery", one resident told The Sun.
"All summer we’ve had lorries delivering materials to the building site and driving up and down this narrow lane while there are excited children running to and from the beach — it’s a recipe for disaster," another told The Times.
“Every time you open the window you can hear drilling or huge equipment moving around, it’s making our lives a constant misery."
Locals have also allegedly had to move around lorries delivering supplies to the building site on narrow lanes.
The disturbance caused by the building site is also reportedly turning away tourists from the beauty spot.
However, Watershed, the architect behind the project said: "Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett have received planning consent for a sustainable replacement home in Mawgan Porth.
"Modest in size, it has been designed sensitively, sustainably and in consultation with the local planning authority to minimise the impact of development on the beautiful environs.
“Throughout the whole process, together with our clients, we have been in regular communication with friendly and accommodating neighbours to ensure that they are aware of our construction program and even paused work during peak season holidays to minimise anticipated construction noise and disturbances.
"Our contractor, Noble Construction, is always on hand to speak to people in the local community where they might have questions about the building process."
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Magwan Porth has been dubbed Hollywood-on-sea, with 50 Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan and Aqaman star Jason Momoa also residing there.
But locals have been unimpressed by the influx of A-listers, claiming the idyllic area is being "destroyed".
This year, residents complained about how the million-pound homes being built in their village are "out of touch".
Before Ms Blanchett and her family bought the Cornish property it was owned by Sherlock Holmes creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Dr Who Star, Tom Baker.
In 2015, the house was dubbed Britain’s 13th creepiest abandoned house and there have been claims it is haunted.
