Notting Hill local Stella McCartney is seeking planning permission to build The Rock, a stylish five-bedroom holiday home on an isolated peninsula named Commando Rock near Glenuig, Scotland.
But the application has received 57 complaints from locals – and concerned London holidaymakers – that a modern new build would disrupt the unspoiled natural landscape.
There are fears construction works for the property on Roshven Bay could disturb otter holts – the holes where the furry semiaquatic animals sleep.
“Otters are a protected species in Scotland, and their holts are critical to their survival,” wrote Thomas Seccombe of SW6.
“The proposed development would require significant excavation and land clearance, which could lead to the disturbance and destruction of otter holts in the surrounding area,” he added.
“This would be a devastating blow to the local otter population.”
McCartney, a committed vegetarian, has built a reputation for high fashion that refuses to use fur, feathers or animal skins.
Her father, Beatle Paul McCartney, became a vegetarian in 1975 and her mother, the late Linda McCartney pioneered the meat-free movement in the UK with her vegetarian food business.
“Anyone who cares about animals should want to avoid this,” said resident Archie MacDonald. “Their loss would be a tragedy and wholly avoidable by building further back.”
Scotland is a haven for coastal otters and an estimated 8,000 of the adorable animals to be found frolicking in its waterways.
“The presence of otters, pine martens and, some neighbours say, wild cats in the area, is just one of the many things that makes it special,” remarked Ranald Macpherson of Glenuig.
“Spotting one of these little animals is one of the reasons I come summer after summer,” said Lady Marie-Sophie Law de Lauriston of Fulham.
Famous 19th-century Roshven resident, illustrator Jemima Blackburn, regularly painted the local flora and fauna. It was her art that inspired the illustrations of Beatrix Potter.
Planning documents for The Rock were filed by McCartney’s husband Alasdhair Willis, former creative director of British heritage brand Hunter.
It features designs by Aberdeenshire-based Brown & Brown Architects for a “unashamedly contemporary” house that would blend modern and traditional design.
Sustainable elements include a green roof, passive heating, and solar panels.
A prominent environmental campaigner, McCartney gave a conservation-focuses spoken word performance at the King’s coronation.
“The applicant wishes to retain the wild nature of the site,” stated Brown & Brown Architects.
The architects proposed a palette of “rough cut natural Scottish stone” mixed with trendy board-marked concrete and Corten weathering steel.
Expanses of glazing and a cantilevered volume containing the principal bedroom protecting out towards the water would offer expansive views of the natural landscape.
But not everyone is a fan of the design.
“This development as proposed would be a long-lasting carbuncle on the face of an area of outstanding beauty,” wrote Petronella Seccombe of Chipping Norton.
The phrasing is a twist on King Charles III infamous dismissal of a proposal for an extension to the National Gallery in 1984.
Roshven Bay is a popular holiday destination, but McCartney and Willis are keen to enjoy the West Coast in private.
“Privacy is of prime import to the applicant, which was a chief reason they acquired the site,” said the architects.
Residents are concerned that this privacy could hinder their access to Sandy Beach, also called the “Secret Beach”.
“This is a popular local walk, with old and established footpaths to this small hidden beach,” wrote Jean Langhorne of Glenuig.
“Any restrictions on accessing it on foot will meet with serious opposition from the residents of Roshven, as well as the significant number of holidaymakers to this area.”
“The location plan for the latest development shows the entire Bay enclosed by the site. Has this land recently been acquired by the applicant?” asked Alison Paune of Glenuig.
“The path down to and across the Bay is used frequently by local residents and visitors. I would object if this proposal was to deny access to a long-established recreational route.”
McCartney and Willis normally reside in their £5 million townhouse in west London.
Her representatives have been approached for comment.
