Channel 4 presenter Sarah Beeny is at the centre of a planning dispute after building several structures without permission at her Somerset estate, known locally as 'mini-Downton Abbey'. The property, featured in her series New Life in the Country, includes a treehouse, boathouse, and greenhouse, all reportedly constructed without the required approvals.
Beeny's retrospective application for planning permission was denied by the local council, which may now order the demolition of the unauthorised additions. She is appealing the decision. The row centres on an extension to a 50-year-old farmhouse that was originally slated for demolition, as well as the other structures.
Journalist Zoe Williams, who visited Beeny in 2023 after her breast cancer documentary, described the house as 'absurdly lavish' with a boot room the size of a primary school hall. Local taxi drivers expressed mixed views, with one questioning the property's scale and another criticising the use of Mendip stone.
Despite the controversy, Williams noted that Beeny built the house under the eyes of prime-time viewers, displaying what she called 'a level of chutzpah far beyond hiding in plain sight'. Williams added that she still likes Beeny and wishes her well, acknowledging the presenter's expertise in property and construction.
