Cole Palmer faces opposition over gym plans
Cole Palmer has become embroiled in a dispute with his neighbours after submitting plans to construct a detached gym at his £4.3 million Surrey home, reports BritPanorama.
The 23-year-old Chelsea forward purchased the six-bedroom property, situated close to the club’s training facilities, towards the end of last year, according to Land Registry records. The residence sits within a private gated estate, and the England international now wishes to add a standalone fitness facility at the rear of the grounds.
However, the proposal has drawn opposition from a neighbouring resident who has formally lodged concerns with the local authority. In their letter to the council, the objecting neighbour raised issues of diminished privacy and potential noise disturbance from the proposed structure.
The resident argued that the planned building would be positioned directly against their shared boundary, necessitating the removal of two established trees that currently provide screening between the properties. “The proposed building is right up against our border which will involve removing two mature trees which will mean we are no longer screened from the house it belongs to,” the neighbour wrote in their objection.
They suggested Palmer should position the gym closer to his own dwelling to address these concerns. Palmer’s planning application, which was submitted under his father Jermaine’s name, disputes the neighbour’s claims regarding the trees, stating that no mature specimens will be removed as part of the development.
The property itself is an impressive new build featuring four reception rooms alongside a media and games room, day room, evening room, and family room. The mansion also includes a master bedroom complete with a dressing room, a first-floor staff flat with its own gym, a study, boot room, and what is described as a “bonus” room.
This is not the first time Palmer has faced objections regarding work at the property. A previous application for new entrance gates received approval despite a resident raising concerns about the “use of high explosives” during the original construction of the new build.
The area is popular with Chelsea players past and present, with former stars Petr Cech, Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta, Ben Chilwell, Ryan Bertrand, and Glen Johnson all residing nearby. Council officials are anticipated to reach a decision on Palmer’s gym application in March.
Chelsea are next in action against West Ham tonight. They currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, a point behind Michael Carrick’s Manchester United, having won 10 of their 23 league games so far this term.
It’s a landscape of plenty in football, yet PJ’s latest challenge will show how even the most straightforward requests can lead to a clattering of opinions and misunderstandings — a reminder that the walls of the beautiful game are often as contested as the pitch itself.
