Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi face a planning headache following the construction of a single-storey extension to their newly purchased £15 million farmhouse in the Cotswolds.
Despite paying £2.5 million over the asking price for the property, the couple’s renovations have sparked complaints from locals, particularly concerning the potential disturbance of Roman remains.
The controversy has raised questions about why the extension did not need planning permission for the work and the council's response to the unauthorised development.
Ellen extension raises flooding concerns
The work carried out on Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s £15 million Cotswolds farmhouse primarily involved the construction of a single-storey extension.
The extension was added to enhance the property and likely to accommodate the couple's needs for more space.
In addition to the extension, a hedge and wire fence were also erected as part of the changes made to the property.
These alterations sparked concerns among local residents and parish councillors about potential flooding risks. The worry was that debris could become trapped in the fence, blocking the natural flow of water across the fields and increasing flood risks for the surrounding area.
Though these works were carried out to improve their new home, the planning issue arose due to the lack of formal planning permission for the extension.
Why Ellen didn't apply for planning permission
Despite the potential legal implications, DeGeneres and de Rossi proceeded with the extension without applying for formal planning permission.
This was even more contentious as the home lies within a conservation area and that the home is near Roman remains, which locals claimed could be damaged.
However, a spokesperson for West Oxfordshire District Council clarified that the Roman remains were located over 200 yards away from the property, meaning a planning application wasn't required, and making the concerns about historical preservation largely unfounded.
District councillor Rosie Pearson, who had initially contacted planning officers about the extension, explained: “I was at the meeting when it was discussed and yes, I contacted the officer because an extension had gone up without permission. It was found not to be a material breach, and that there had been no threat to any possibility of Roman remains."
Council allow extension to stand
Councillors listened to the concerns from locals about the potential flood risks posed by a hedge and wire fence erected on the property but ultimately rejected re-examining the extension.
It was noted: "Concern was expressed by residents that the hedge and wire fence could increase flood risk in the village if rubbish was swept down and ‘caught on the fence,’ thereby ‘limiting flow across the field.’"
Despite the concerns raised, West Oxfordshire District Council determined that the project did not require further intervention.
The council once again found that there were no significant threats to the historic remains or the surrounding area, allowing the extension and fence to remain.
