Exclusive reports reveal that music icons Beyoncé and Jay-Z are facing significant opposition from potential new neighbours over their ambitious plans to construct a sprawling country mansion in the picturesque Cotswolds. The global superstars are understood to be in the final stages of purchasing a substantial 58-acre plot of farmland, which already possesses planning permission for what has been described as a "spectacular" seven-bedroom residence.
Local Outcry Over Lost Access
The proposed development has ignited considerable discontent among residents of the tiny village of Wigginton, who currently enjoy unfettered access to the fields and a lake on the property for dog walking and countryside strolls. One local villager, who walks the route daily with her three dogs—a labrador, a lurcher, and a greyhound—expressed profound disappointment at the prospect of losing this cherished amenity.
"Going through Beyoncé’s fields is easier because it’s not such a steep hill, especially as I have three dogs," she lamented. "We haven’t been told anything – it’s sad actually because she’ll probably come once a year, if that."
Concerns Over Community Impact
Another resident highlighted broader concerns about the potential transformation of their quiet rural community. "We tend to walk there a lot – and if they do move there I don’t think they’ll want a footpath anywhere near and it’ll be fenced off, so the walk will be shortened," they noted. "Everyone who lives here loves it, so we can understand why a celebrity like Beyoncé would want to put down roots here. But it would massively increase the number of cars so we could end up like other villages where residents have to put bollards outside their homes to stop people parking because it’s so busy."
A "Spectacular Rural Estate"
Architectural plans obtained exclusively describe the proposed home as a "spectacular rural estate" designed to offer "seamless indoor-outdoor living, combining timeless materials with contemporary architecture." The document elaborates further, stating: "Designed to integrate with the natural landscape, the property offers a striking architectural statement, blending contemporary style with sustainable practices." Notably, the plans include proposals for building into the existing lake on the property.
Celebrity Enclave Connections
The location is strategically positioned within a well-established celebrity enclave. The plot sits just five minutes from the quintessential chocolate-box village of Great Tew, placing it in close proximity to the homes of other high-profile figures such as the Beckhams, Simon Cowell, and Ellen DeGeneres. The area is also near the exclusive private members' club Soho Farmhouse—which famously hosted the Duchess of Sussex’s hen do—and the renowned farm shop Daylesford Organic, visited by US Vice President JD Vance last summer.
Rumours and Reconnaissance
Speculation about the power couple's move to Britain first emerged when Beyoncé, 44, and Jay-Z, 56, were spotted visiting Oxfordshire in June last year. The land was subsequently sold off-market, rendering the exact purchase price undisclosed. Reports indicate that Beyoncé and Jay-Z reportedly visited the site by helicopter last summer during the English leg of her Cowboy Carter World Tour.
An insider revealed at the time: "In the past week, the couple flew between her London gigs to view a 58-acre plot of land. Located close to friends Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, and with Simon Cowell and the Beckhams as neighbours, she felt it would be an ideal UK home for her family, away from the city when they’re in the country."
The situation presents a classic conflict between celebrity privacy and local community access, with the future of this tranquil Cotswolds landscape now hanging in the balance as planning decisions progress.
