RANGERS chairman David Murray has infuriated his neighbours on Edinburgh’s "Millionaires Row" with his plans to redevelop his £2 million home.
The multi-millionaire businessman wants to demolish the Murrayfield mansion and replace it with a fabulous new art deco home.
But his next-door neighbour is so upset he has hired planning consultants to fight the tycoon’s plans.
Consultants a
cting for Angus Beaton have complained to the city council that Mr Murray’s new home would be so large it would overshadow his property.
Murrayfield Community Council has also asked the local authority to throw out the 53-year-old Rangers chairman’s plans.
It has written to the council complaining the new building would look three times bigger than the existing one.
It claims the proposed new mansion would "take advantage" of its setting overlooking Murrayfield Golf Course "without contributing anything in return".
Mr Murray has asked the council for permission to build a new home on the foundations of his existing mansion, which sits on a private Murrayfield road, dubbed Millionaire’s Row.
The new home would include an orangery, a six-metre swimming pool and indoor spa, and an open air terrace. It would boast four large en-suite bedrooms, with the upper floor centred around the orangery and enjoying views across the golf course.
The exterior of the property would feature smooth white walls with steel-framed windows, while the plush interior would have contrasting dark wood finishes.
Outside, landscaped lawns would sweep down the sides of the building.
But objections to the plans lodged with the city council include one made on behalf of Mr Murray’s next-door neighbour.
Acting on Mr Beaton’s behalf, planning consultants Planning and Building Design Ltd, of West Nicolson Street, said its client was concerned about the size and the height of the proposed mansion.
The submission states: "The setting of Mr Beaton’s villa is not overly affected by Mr Murray’s present house, but will suffer significantly by the form, overall height, overlooking windows and the close proximity to the boundary in terms of overshadowing of the proposed building."
A letter from Murrayfield Community Council chairman Robert Smart outlined the misgivings of other residents. It states: "The new proposal takes advantage of the previous house and the landscape of the golf course without contributing anything in return. The new house will appear to be very much larger than the existing [building] due to the full two stories being so close to the boundary wall of the golf course. To the layman it will appear about three times larger than the existing [building]."
However, city planning chief Alan Henderson has urged councillors to give Mr Murray the go-ahead at a meeting next week.
In a report to councillors, he dismissed the neighbours’ fears, saying: "Overshadowing would be minimal given that the massing and the scale of the proposed house is approximate to that of the original house."
His report added: "In conclusion, the design of the proposed house is acceptable and would not adversely affect the character or appearance of the area."
Mr Murray, who made his fortune from metal companies, has lived in his Edinburgh house for around 20 years.
He was unavailable for comment today.
