| 11th November 2007 09:41 AM |
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| moy |
Mick Jagger forced by angry neighbours to move swimming pool to save trees
By MARTIN DELGADO
Last updated at 21:29pm on 10th November 2007
When Sir Mick Jagger bought a down-at-heel 17th-Century mansion for £10million, he planned to transform it into a residence fit for a millionaire rock star.
At huge expense, he hired a team of designers and architects to turn it into the home of his dreams, complete with His and Her dressing rooms, a cavernous wine cellar and spacious staff accommodation.
But now he has discovered - in the words of the Rolling Stones classic - that You Can't Always Get What You Want.
For last night it emerged that 64-yearold Sir Mick and his American girlfriend L'Wren Scott have lost a battle with their neighbours over the fate of four magnolia trees.
The Rolling Stones fitness fanatic had wanted to chop them down to make way for a subterranean swimming pool.
But the proposal so infuriated other residents in the exclusive street in Chelsea, West London, that they bombarded the local council with letters of protest and organised a petition.
Now Sir Mick has agreed to shift the 28ft by 12ft pool to another site in the garden so that the magnolias can be preserved.
When Sir Mick acquired the 330-yearold Grade II listed building last year, friends said it would enable him to give up his apartment at Claridge's, which has been his London base for several years since his ex-wife Jerry Hall asked him to move out of the flat he owns next door to their former marital home overlooking the Thames at Richmond.
Sir Mick already has an extensive property portfolio, including a castle in the South of France and an estate on the Caribbean island of Mustique.
But his decision to rip out the interior of the Chelsea mansion, redesigning it as a family home to his personal specification, suggests he intends to spend a good deal of time there.
According to planning documents submitted to Kensington and Chelsea Council by architect Simon Hurst, a specialist in the redesign of historic buildings, the pool will be housed in a building resembling a Georgian orangery, its roof supported by neoclassical pillars decorated with Roman-style engravings.
The basement will be turned into a wine store, staff kitchen, study and playroom, with the couple's living space on the first and second floors featuring "new built-in furniture without backs" instead of free-standing tables and chairs. The third floor will have a nanny's room and five more bedrooms.
Although Sir Mick, who is worth about £200million, probably doesn't worry about fuel bills, he does appear keen to display his "green" credentials. All the water used in the house will be heated by solar panels on the roof.
Last night neighbours welcomed the decision to let the magnolias stay.
Sylviane Marty, manager of a sheltered housing complex next door, said: "We have 49 flats here and every one voted against the trees being removed. We need greenery in an area like this. Who cares about a swimming pool? If they want that kind of lifestyle they should go to Los Angeles."
Another campaigner, Annette Buch, said: "Trees are precious. It would have been very selfish to cut them down."
Although the battle of the magnolias is over, another potential problem is already looming for Sir Mick. Before work is allowed to begin, archaeologists may seek permission to search for medieval relics which they believe lie beneath the house.
An associate of Sir Mick said: "There was some concern several months ago about a few magnolia trees but this has been resolved to everyone's satisfaction." |
| 11th November 2007 09:48 AM |
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| fireontheplatter |
yeah for the magnolia trees. |
| 11th November 2007 11:32 AM |
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| mrhipfl |
Poor guy, he must be devastated |
| 11th November 2007 11:36 AM |
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| Bitch |
If this were in the US, the trees would be cut down, but in exchange MICK would be required to plant several magnolia trees someplace else, to benefit the town. We trade favors for favors, or maybe it's a form of the rich and powerful getting to do what they want to, but it will cost them, but in the end everyone is happy. |
| 11th November 2007 11:37 AM |
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| gimmekeef |
Why not have LWren wear a hat and stand where the trees would have been?..More shade and he gets pool where he wanted... |
| 11th November 2007 11:43 AM |
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| Highwire Rob |
This just begs for another Simpsons episode appearance!  |
| 11th November 2007 12:20 PM |
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| sirmoonie |
In other words, someone said to Mick "Those trees look nice, consider moving the pool?" and he said "Thats a good point, I think I will move the pool." |
| 11th November 2007 02:11 PM |
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| steel driving hammer |
Uh, why don't they simply " M O V E " the poor little trees?
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| 11th November 2007 02:37 PM |
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| jean-pierre M |
His castle in France is not in the south but west along the
river Loire.... |
| 11th November 2007 02:40 PM |
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| steel driving hammer |
Hey Jean, thanks again for those 2 tour books!
Very good work.
Tony. |
| 11th November 2007 03:32 PM |
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| pdog |
quote:
sirmoonie wrote:
In other words, someone said to Mick "Those trees look nice, consider moving the pool?" and he said "Thats a good point, I think I will move the pool."
basically, and then some hack reporter decided to try to make this sound interesting, but failed miserably. |
| 11th November 2007 06:28 PM |
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| glencar |
Well, good for Mick, I say! |
| 12th November 2007 02:55 PM |
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| nankerphelge |
That's fucking ridiculous.
Who owns the property - Mick.
Who does not own the property - everyone else.
Who owns the trees on Mick's property - Mick.
Who does not own the trees on Mick's property - everyone else.
Who can do whatever the fuck he wants with the goddam Magnolia trees - Mick!
Who can rent a wood chipper and chop those stupid fucking trees into a bunch of sawdust - Mick.
Who can pack that sawdust up their collective asses - the neighbors!
Fucking Magnolia trees.
They smell good for all of about 10 minutes in June.
The rest of the time, the drop all sorts of stupid shit all over the ground.
I hate Magnolia trees almost as much as I hate neighbors telling me what to do with my property.
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| 12th November 2007 03:00 PM |
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| Joey |
quote:
Bitch wrote:
If this were in the US, the trees would be cut down, but in exchange MICK would be required to plant several magnolia trees someplace else, to benefit the town. We trade favors for favors, or maybe it's a form of the rich and powerful getting to do what they want to, but it will cost them, but in the end everyone is happy.
concur ..... Bitch ! |
| 17th November 2007 03:05 PM |
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| gorda |
I am actually thinking of buying a condo, just so I can go swimming. I would have to pay $400 dollars more than what I am paying now each month, but at least I would get to go swimming.
I haven't gone swimming since last summer when I went to go visit some relatives in Arizona. My mom and I stayed in a motel, because we didn't want to impose on our relatives. It was so cool, my mom and I had a whole swimming pool to ourselves. (It was available for everyone to use, but no one did, just my mom and me.)
When, I was younger I used to go to the YMCA or the city's public swimming pool. Now, I'm too old to go during the recreational hours, and too young to go during the lap hours.
The only other place, I could go swimming was the junior college. I would sign up for an evening class, and I could swim all night! But, for some reason, those evening swimming classes have been canceled and are no longer available. Now, they only offer swimming classes during the day, when I am at work.
Swimming is good exercise. I remember I was really toned. I had really nice legs back then.
I remember my hair got this light greenish tint from all the chlorine! Ha!
[Edited by gorda] |
| 17th November 2007 03:25 PM |
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| lotsajizz |
I swim a mile every day, it does bleach your hair out...second best exercise there is... |
