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Cate Blanchett has scaled back her controversial home renovation plans amid complaints from her neighbours in Cornwall.
The Oscar-winning actor, 55, purchased a £1.6m cottage in Mawgan Porth, near Newquay, along with her husband, the playwright Andrew Upton, in 2020. They had arranged to transform the demolished property into a five-bedroom “eco-home”.
In 2021, Blanchett and Upton bought the deed to a field adjoining the property, which the pair sought to convert into a driveway and parking area.
However, the construction plans drew the ire of local residents, some of whom complained about the potential effect the disruption would have on tourism, and the potential loss of green space.
Now, Blanchett has officially withdrawn the plans to build the parking space in a letter to Cornwall Council. Per Cornwall Live, the letter provided no reason for the decision to withdraw.
In a previous statement, Blanchett’s planning agent said: ““The proposed redevelopment of [the house] and its replacement was driven by the desire to make a more efficient use of this unique site, and to provide a sustainable dwelling that can be enjoyed by the applicant’s multi-generational family.
“The applicants purchased the field site separately and subsequent to the purchase of [the house] specifically to ensure that the land was not developed with housing that could potentially encroach upon the amenities of their new home, which is sat within a comparatively constrained plot area when compared with others in the area.”
They stipulated that the parking area had been “designed sensitively to minimise visual impact from surrounding vistas” and would help the field remain “a key landscape feature, with every attempt made to blend the access seamlessly into the landscape”.
“Within the wider landscape, the proposed access and parking area would not have a significant landscape impact and would not result in an unacceptable change in character of the land,” the statement concluded.
Nonetheless, local residents had accused Blanchett of “destroying holidays” and having a “total disregard” for the surrounding area, when her initial plans were put forward.
The lengthy building time on the three-storey eco-home had also been criticised, with one local holiday let owner claiming that the noise and disruption had cost her thousands of pounds last year.
Mawgan Porth is a popular English beauty spot, which has recently become home to a number of high-profile celebrities. As well as Blanchett, the town is also host to actors Stanley Tucci, Jason Statham, and Aquaman star Jason Momoa, leading some to describe the location “Hollywood-on-Sea” as a result.
Blanchett is best known for her role in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, as well as dramas such as Carol and Blue Jasmine.
