Cate Blanchett accused of ‘destroying holidays’ with noisy renovations in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall

Cate Blanchett and husband Andrew Upton are facing a fresh drama in a long-running row over one of their lavish properties.

Cate Blanchett and husband Andrew Upton have been accused of “total disregard” during the construction of their eco-home in England’s picturesque Cornwall, with one angry neighbour claiming the Aussie star has cost her $116,000 in lost revenue.

Blanchett and Upton, who recently sold their property in Melbourne’s stylish Prahran for a rumoured $3 million, bought the £1.6 million ($3.1 million) cottage in Mawgan Porth, near Newquay, four years ago.  

Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton have angered locals with their home renovation in Cornwall. Picture: Getty Images

Cate Blanchett’s holiday house, surrounded by fencing, sits on the Mawgan Porth coastal trail. Picture: Getty Images

Plans for the house being built by Cate Blanchett in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall. Supplied

Cornwall has become a haven for A listers in recent years.

The star has since demolished the original structure to replace it with a five-bedroom eco-home in the village, which has become a celebrity haven in recent years.

But the ongoing renovations have angered neighbours in the popular tourism beauty spot, who claim the noisy works are making their lives hell and have turned visitors away, local media outlet Cornwall Live reports.

Watershedd, the architect behind the build, denied the claim, saying it was a case of mistaken identity and the noise was coming from another property.

An angry local claims Cate Blanchett’s allegedly noisy holiday home renovation is making her life hell. Picture: Getty Images

Anger has been further reignited among locals after a fresh application for “ground works” to allow carparking on an existing green meadow was submitted.

Blanchett and Upton want to develop a small part of that land to provide a new entrance to their property with carparking.

The site is in a picturesque village loved by holiday-makers. Picture: Supplied

Cate Blanchett demolished the existing property on the site to build her own state-of-the-art eco-home. Picture: Supplied

The area is a tourism hotspot. Picture: iStock

One local says the noise levels have turned tourists away. Picture: iStock

In the latest complaint, a holiday rental owner said the noise from construction last year had “destroyed” the holidays of her guests.

Karen Burgess claimed to have lost £60,000 ($116,000) in rental revenue and said she is having to advertise her own rental property as being impacted by building noise, Cornwall Live reports.

In her objection, shared on Cornwall Council’s planning portal on January 27, Ms Burgess said: “I am deeply concerned that there has already been a total disregard for the noise that has destroyed the family holidays of all my guests at (Ms Burgess’ property) throughout 2023.

“The losses are more than £60,000 last year and still we are having to advertise as a property affected by building noise.

Cate Blanchett at the AACTA Awards on the Gold Coast earlier this month. Picture: David Clark

“We thought (Blanchett’s property) work was finally over and now there is a new application for ground works. This work should not be permitted during the holiday season.

“Never before in the bay, have we ever experienced such a blatant disregard for the people who flock here for their holidays and residents’ enjoyment of the area during the holiday season. We pay business rates.”

Acting on behalf of Blanchett and Upton, Situ8 responded and described the loss of green space as “minimal” and that the new access was also “vital for the property.”

They said: “The proposed parking area would be tucked into the edge of the site and would not encroach into the open area of the meadow.

“The rising ground of the meadow is not affected in any way by the proposals, and it is only the higher areas of the meadow that are seen from other properties and public roads – not the level area of the proposals.”

Another neighbour also accused the celebrity couple of a “blatant” land grab with regards to the additional land purchase.

The state-of-the-art eco home has been designed to blend into the landscape and there has been little objection about its overall design, but locals have been furious about the alleged disruption the build is causing, Cornwall Live reports.

Cornwall Live reports that residents of Mawgan Porth have previously spoken out about an increase in modern homes taking over its landscape, saying the area is “developing at an alarming rate”.

Originally published as Cate Blanchett accused of ‘destroying holidays’ with noisy renovations in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall