Chelsea Legend Carlo Cudicini in Court Over Sun Terrace Dispute at £3 Million London Home
Premier League-winning former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is locked in a significant court battle after being prohibited from using a sun terrace at his £3 million London residence. The 52-year-old football icon, who made 216 appearances for Chelsea between 1999 and 2009, faces legal action from Haya Property Ltd, the freehold owners of his multimillion-pound Kensington mews house.
The Terrace Controversy and Legal Claims
Mr Cudicini, who was part of Chelsea's first Premier League title-winning squad in 2004-05, has been taken to court over allegations that he breached the lease terms for his property in Jay Mews, South Kensington. The dispute centers on his conversion of a rear section of flat roof into a sun terrace. The freeholder contends that his use of this compact terrace space—which planning records indicate measures less than two metres in both length and width—constitutes "a trespass and/or breach of covenant."
However, the former football star's legal team maintains that his adaptation of the terrace, accessible from the first-floor lounge, complies with planning permission granted by the City of Westminster for works at the house prior to his occupancy. His barrister, Mark Warwick KC, emphasized during a pre-trial hearing that Mr Cudicini purchased the property in 2006 for £1.75 million, with the terrace permission already in place, and carried out the work openly with the knowledge of previous landlords.
Background of the Property and Career
The house, which Mr Cudicini acquired at the peak of his Premier League career, is situated just yards from Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall, and under two miles from Chelsea FC's Stamford Bridge ground, where he currently serves as head of talent and the club's "pathway programme." The Milan-born goalkeeper began his professional career at AC Milan in 1992, later joining Chelsea in 1999, where he became the club's number one goalkeeper and was voted Chelsea's player of the year for the 2001-02 season.
After winning the Premier League as an understudy to Petr Cech under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2009 and concluded his playing career at Los Angeles Galaxy in 2013. He returned to Chelsea as a club ambassador and assistant to first-team boss Antonio Conte in 2016 before assuming his current role.
Roots of the Dispute and Counterclaims
Mr Cudicini asserts that the legal action was triggered by his landlords' overreaction to his complaint about them installing noisy air-conditioning units near his bedroom window. His KC described the breach allegation as "unjustified" and argued it was a retaliatory response to Mr Cudicini's earlier complaint to the City of Westminster regarding the placement of three noisy air conditioning units adjacent to his master bedroom.
According to court submissions, the 2006 planning permission granted to a previous owner allowed for "the replacement of a rear first floor window with French doors—and use of flat roof and lightwell as a terrace." Mr Cudicini further claims that landlords prior to Haya Property's acquisition of the freehold in 2015 were formally notified of the terrace planning application and consented to it.
Legal Proceedings and Financial Stakes
Haya Property is seeking an injunction to prevent the alleged misuse of the terrace, along with compensation of up to £25,000. The case was brought before Judge Olivia-Faith Dobbie at Central London County Court in a brief pre-trial hearing to address costs budgets for the forthcoming trial, the date of which remains to be fixed. Mr Cudicini's barrister stated that the former goalkeeper has "personal knowledge" of the property's history since his 2006 purchase and has conducted additional enquiries since the case commenced, enabling him to assemble a "complete defence."
Notably, Mr Cudicini holds a 999-year lease on the house at a nominal rate of "one red rose per annum if demanded." Council documents also reveal that he secured planning permission to create a new basement beneath the mews, including an en-suite guest room and TV/play room, adding to the property's current online valuation of over £3 million.
