Wales' most glamorous export, Catherine Zeta-Jones, may be the darling of Hollywood but she is rapidly losing popularity back home in Swansea due to her expanding estate.
When she first decided to build a home in Mumbles, South Wales, the townsfolk were delighted to have such a noteworthy neighbour, but her plans to enlarge her residence there have enraged them.
The 33-year-old originally intended to build the house for her parents, so that she and husband Michael Douglas could stay with them during visits, but she has since altered the plans to make room for her expanding family. Neighbours were furious when they found out that the designs had been changed from two storeys to three, which they say will leave them living in the shadows.
The fact that the Zeta-Jones clan will be able to see directly into their gardens has also upset locals. "The new plans show a three-storey house with 15 windows, with a massive one reaching from the ground to the first floor," complained one neighbour. "We will lose all our privacy – it will be like living in a goldfish bowl."
The blueprints have already been approved by the local council, however, and while they may seem a little intrusive, Catherine and Michael are unlikely to be there most of the time. The couple are planning to settle in Bermuda and they will doubtless also want to make use of their homes in Los Angeles, New York and Majorca.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
