David Cameron has reportedly won a significant battle with his weight, shedding an estimated four stone, and this newfound vigour appears to have reignited a very specific domestic ambition. The former Prime Minister has once again applied for permission to build a swimming pool at his family's Cotswolds retreat, years after his first attempt ended in a very public and embarrassing failure.
From Weight Loss to Planning Permission Woes
The ex-PM's substantial weight loss, revealed in September, seems to have put him in the mood for outdoor pursuits. This personal milestone coincides with a fresh planning application submitted to install a pool at the countryside home he shares with his wife, Samantha, and their three children. The move might be considered 'bold' – a term Lord Cameron himself used to describe Rishi Sunak's July election decision – given the spectacular collapse of his initial 2020 proposal.
That first bid ended in what was described as 'abject failure', forcing Cameron to settle for a plunge-pool inside a £25,000 shepherd's hut on the property. The core issue in 2020 was location. Cameron and his wife had chosen a paddock for the 46-foot pool, positioning it far closer to their neighbours' house than their own, seemingly expecting no objection.
Neighbourly Dispute and Human Rights Cited
This assumption proved to be a serious miscalculation. The couple's nearest neighbours, Mark and Katherine Smith, who live barely a stone's throw away, formally objected. They argued that changing the paddock's use from 'agricultural' to 'residential' for a pool would have 'a serious negative impact on our standard of living' and damage the area's natural beauty.
In a decisive move, the Smiths bolstered their objection by citing the Human Rights Act, specifically the right to 'peaceful enjoyment' of one's property. Faced with this formidable opposition, Cameron withdrew the application just three months later, effectively running up the white flag.
A New, More Strategic Proposal
The new application, submitted recently, suggests lessons have been learned. This time, the proposed pool is situated much closer to the Cameron family home and farther from the Smiths' property. The plans also include a 'Cotswold rubble-stone retaining wall' intended to shield the pool from view and mitigate any impact on the neighbours.
Whether this strategic repositioning and screening will be enough to placate the Smiths and secure council approval remains to be seen. With the application now in the system, it could set the stage for a tense festive period in the Cotswolds, as locals await the verdict on Lord Cameron's aquatic ambitions.
