MICHELLE Keegan and Mark Wright’s £1.3m dream home in Essex has hit a snag as the land could be contaminated with asbestos.
The pair bought the huge farmhouse last October in Essex, and have been given the nod by the local council to demolish the existing property and turn it into their own rural paradise.
But the permission from the council came with conditions and one of them is that the property and surrounding soil needs to be investigated.
It used to be a working farm and so could be classed as “contaminated land”.
Now an independent report says the house needs to be further investigated for “unexpected contamination” as there’s a fear of asbestos on the property, which poses a “potentially high risk”.
The report says: “According to the council’s records the above application is considered potentially contaminated due to its location within an agricultural land area…
“Identification of asbestos containing materials (ACMs) were not covered under the remit of the DTS, so there remains the possibility for ACMs in parts of the buildings planned for demolition, generating a potential high risk to end users from fibres in soil and to site workers.
“Due to the proposed use of the land being of a sensitive nature I recommend that the stand- alone condition SCN60 – Unexpected Contamination is attached to any approval granted.”
The glamorous couple recently submitted new plans for the sprawling Essex pad which will also boast a stunning landscaped garden with new trees planted behind an impressive outdoor pool.
Michelle’s pad will feature a huge makeup room which joins up with an even bigger dressing room on the first floor.
Downstairs the couple can enjoy boozy nights with their celeb pals in a large bar that opens out into the back garden.
At the rear of the house is the couple’s open plan living space with a huge kitchen island, dining space and a living room area.
Each of the property’s five bedrooms has its own en-suite, while three of them have dressing rooms.
The master bedroom even has its own glass balcony so the couple can enjoy the countryside views.
On the opposite wing of the house to the bar there will be a gym for the fitness focused pair to burn off late night parties, while a TV room offers them the perfect place to relax.
And when the time is right for them to start a family, there’s a playroom ready to go just off the large hallway.
The design statement for the project describes it as a “classical design” with an emphasis on “symmetry and traditional classical detailing.”
Its exterior will be rendered with stone quoins and its windows will have stone dressings.
The majority of the current garden is being retained, with the new pool becoming a luxury centre piece.
The new plans have not been approved yet but there have been no objections from the local parish council.
The Sun recently revealed the pair had ditched their plans for an additional outbuilding on the site.
Despite no objections from neighbours, the couple’s application for the “demolition of an existing stable building” to build a “one-bedroom annexe” was withdrawn.
The pair bought the huge farmhouse last October in Essex, and have been given the nod by the local council to demolish the existing property and turn it into their own rural paradise.
The Sun Online has contacted Michelle’s representative for comment.
