‘Looks like a giant Tesco,’ neighbours fume over ‘Olympic-sized’ pool complex being built at luxury beachfront home
THE millionaire owner of Cornwall’s most expensive property has enraged locals by building a massive two-storey leisure complex likened to a “giant Tesco” at a beach beauty spot.
Investment banker Dominic Murphy bought the waterfront mansion from TV chef Gordon Ramsay for a record £7.5million in 2021.
The businessman has now embarked on a multi-million pound build on the 2.5acre home including a yoga studio and kitchen and an “Olympic-sized” pool complex.
But neighbours have complained about the over-sized development which is completely out of keeping with the area.
And they say their lives have been ruined by builders singing Beyonce’s country music song Texas Hold Em at 7am every morning.
Aerial photos taken by The Sun show the sheer scale of the new development on the Cornwall coast.
In the last few weeks diggers have carved a road through to the beach while work to repair the sand dunes takes place – but neighbours say they fear this will be kept as a private beach access for the house.
One beachgoer said: “It’s huge, it looks like they are building an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
“I can’t understand why you would need that when they can practically dive into the sea from their garden.”
Neighbour Pippa Burrows, 35, said: “Everybody you talk to is furious, nobody knows how it got passed.
“There are massive diggers down there and they have cut a path onto the beach a few weeks ago.
“It was supposed to be a pool house but from the size of it it could be another house.
“It just doesn’t fit in and I’m not sure how it’s taken so long to build it.
“The noise is awful, every morning from 7am the builders start singing country music.”
Another resident said: “It used to just be garden and niceness but now it’s like somebody has dumped a Tesco at the bottom of the garden.
“It’s just a trend now to buy a multi-million pound house and bulldoze it then build something modern and only stay there twice a year. It destroys communities.
“There is nothing you can do, every time I come back you notice a change. People are thinking of selling up and moving elsewhere to get away from it.
“It’s just coming down and dumping a wedge of cash on something without any thought for the neighbours.”
The new open-plan pool complex will feature a two storey 15-metre-tall pool house alongside a sunken fire pit, outside showers, changing rooms, an external dining area and a brand new pool.
Planning documents submitted to Cornwall Council describe the works as an “extension to form a garage, workshop and yoga studio”.
They add: “Single story living room extension to main house and replacement of existing external swimming pool with new pool, poolhouse including plant room / changing rooms and terrace.”
Mr Murphy is managing partner of Luxembourg-based CVC Capital Partners investment firm which owns PG Tips, Breitling watches and has a minority stake in Six Nations rugby.
Mr Murphy has been approached for a comment.