A vast £7.5million country mansion once linked to Johnny Depp and John Terry has become the centre of a heated planning dispute over proposals to replace it with 57 new homes.
Golden Hill mansion, in Belbins, Hampshire, was previously considered as a potential rural retreat by the Hollywood actor and the former Premier League footballer.
Built in 2004, the extraordinary property includes a nuclear bunker, a concealed escape tunnel and an underground garage for 10 cars. But the mansion was never completed and has since deteriorated.
The derelict 22,000-square-foot house is now at the heart of a contentious planning battle after developers put forward plans to demolish it.
A&B Homes wants to build 57 properties across the 11-acre site, a proposal that has drawn strong opposition from local councillors.
Romsey Town councillor Russell Theron said he was “really disappointed” by the plans and warned they could place further strain on the area’s “already overcrowded local infrastructure”.
He said: “Not only would demolishing a property that has never even been occupied create unnecessary carbon emissions, but the scale of the development would also damage the habitat of local wildlife.”
The 12-bedroom, 17-bathroom mansion was listed for £7.5million in 2009, attracting the attention of former England and Chelsea captain John Terry. However, he reportedly rejected the property because it was too far from his club’s training ground.
The £7.5million Golden Hill mansion in Belbins, Hampshire, was once considered by Johnny Depp and John Terry
An aerial view of the 22,000-square-foot mansion and its 11-acre grounds, which have been earmarked for demolition
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp and former England and Chelsea footballer John Terry were both linked to the property
Depp was also rumoured to have expressed an interest in the estate, which includes a two-bedroom staff house, an underground aquarium and an artificial lake.
After no buyer was found, A&B Homes secured permission to convert the mansion into 10 luxury flats. The developer later replaced those plans with a proposal for 57 new homes across the site.
Mr Theron said the latest application was another example of developers seeking to “gain full advantage of Test Valley’s shortfall” in housing land supply.
Although he said he supported bringing the neglected site back into use, he added: “Fifty-seven properties in its place are definitely not welcome and are not the solution.”
Test Valley Borough councillor Rohit Kohli also raised concerns, saying the area was already facing significant development pressure.
“It is another development application at the top of Romsey, where there have already been applications in the past,” he said.
“It is already overdeveloped as it is. I’m not happy with it. It is another one of those speculative applications, as we don’t have a neighbourhood plan in place.”
Mr Kohli said changes to planning rules introduced by the Labour Government had left local authorities “at a real disadvantage when challenging developers”.
The sprawling property includes a nuclear bunker, a secret escape tunnel and an underground garage with space for 10 cars
A Test Valley Borough Council planning application notice has been taped to the mansion’s gates
He added: “I am absolutely not against development, but some of these applications are speculative.”
In its application, A&B Homes said the 57-home scheme would “maximise” the site’s development potential and make “effective” use of the land.
The developer said: “The existing dwelling is now more than 20 years old, is showing signs of degradation and has been subject to vandalism in recent years.
“For these reasons, the previous conversion scheme is no longer being pursued. The earlier permission nevertheless confirms that redeveloping the existing building into 10 new units was acceptable in principle, albeit using only the floorspace of the existing building.”
The site lies outside Romsey’s settlement boundary, but the developer argues that the proposal would help address Test Valley’s housing requirements.
Test Valley Borough Council is currently considering the application, with a decision deadline set for January 22, 2027.
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