David and Victoria Beckham are given green light to build log store at their £6m Cotswolds retreat despite objections over fears of environmental impact of burning wood

• Beckham, 47, will be able to build the log store at his huge Oxfordshire home
• An objector tried to block the move, arguing wood burning was not eco-friendly 
• The plans are part of a new building on the Cotswolds estate including an office
• Posh and Becks have agreed with the local council to protect local wildlife 

David and Victoria Beckham have been given planning permission for a log store at their £6m Cotswolds home – despite fears of the environmental impact.

The celebrity duo want to build the dry wood store in their Oxfordshire estate for cosy nights in front of a roaring fire.

Planners have now given the green-light to the proposal despite the Beckham’s being accused of ‘flying in the face’ of the government’s clean air strategy.

The accusation was made by an objector who claimed they should be relying on more eco-friendly methods of heating such as an electric heat pump.

But planners said the objection was not enough to block the plans for Maplewood Barn, near Oxford, and permission was granted by West Oxfordshire District Council last Friday.

The objection said: ‘I object to this application as it is a log store to keep wood to be burned dry.

The plans to build the log cabin on the estate have gone through despite an environmental objection. A council officer said it ‘would not result in any material increase in carbon emissions’

Posh and Becks are said to go between their Cotswolds estate, their £31 million London mansion and their £19 million penthouse flat in Florida, where David, 47, co-owns club Inter Miami 

‘This flies in the face of the government’s clean air strategy.’

The individual finished the objection with ‘Save the Planet.’

In response to the letter, a planning officer wrote: ‘Officers do not consider that given the scale of the proposed log store, it would not result in any material increase in carbon emissions.’

They added: ‘The principle of development is established and the proposed design changes will result in no material impact with regard to neighbourly amenity, highways, ecology or drainage.

‘The proposed design changes as described echo the forms and materials of the approved structure and would therefore appear in keeping with the character of the site.

‘The changes are considered minor in nature and would be barely perceptible from off-site meaning the wider visual appreciation of the proposed changes would be negligible.’

The store for the Beckham’s wood logs comes after the couple were given permission for another building at their Grade-II listed country house.

The Beckhams have agreed to make sure the local environment and wildlife is not harmed by the new buildings at their Cotswolds home

The log store is the latest addition to the Beckhams’ £6 million Oxfordshire estate 

Permission for the previous plans was granted on the condition the building, which will be used as an office and high-tech vehicle storage space, was designed to provide an ‘attractive environment for nesting birds and bats’.

The log store application was made in April this year to make changes to existing planning permission and is still being considered by the council.

The original planning application was given the green light as long as the celebrity couple look after the existing wildlife there.

Planners said: ‘Before the erection of any external walls, details of the provision of at least one integrated bat box and at least one integrated bird box within the walls of the new building shall be submitted to the local planning authority for approval.’

Former England footballer David and fashion designer wife Victoria must also ‘ensure that bats, birds, badgers, hedgehogs, reptiles and amphibians are protected in accordance with The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.’

The new building will be added to already-approved plans for an office and storage for high-tech vehicles 

They are also banned from installing any outdoor fixtures which ‘would directly illuminate the bat box or the hedge-row without prior approval to protect roosting, foraging or community bats.’

It was also noted that the Beckhams must have ‘a five-year aftercare maintenance plan’ and there must be ‘no external lighting’ that could harm wildlife.

The Cotswolds mansion, which is estimated to be worth around £6.15 million, has been renovated a number of times over the past few years.

Features of the countryside estate, located close to the private member’s club, Soho Farmhouse, include a huge football pitched, decked out with a spectator stand, an outdoor pool, and a sauna.

It is also said to contain a wine cellar, a plunge pool, and an enormous garage, fitted with flashy cars and a motorbike.

The Beckham family are said to bounce between their Oxfordshire home, a £31 million mansion in London, and a £19 million penthouse in Miami, Florida.

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