Hammer to fall! Queen drummer Roger Taylor wins year-long planning battle to build a pool house and party terrace at historic £6M Surrey mansion… but builders will have to move 20ft statue of rock legend Freddie Mercury first

• His home near Guildford already boasts six reception rooms and nine bedrooms
• Now he wants to splash out on an outdoor pool house including a whirlpool bath
• But he first had to get it past officials at the council as the site is on green belt
• In 2015, he fell out with planners after erecting the 6m-high statue of Mercury 

Queen drummer Roger Taylor has won a year-long battle with planners to build a pool house and party terrace at his historic £6million Surrey mansion – but his old friend Freddie Mercury will have to step aside first.

A 20ft statue of the rock legend needs to be moved to make way for the proposed development at the sprawling 48-acre estate.

Taylor’s impressive stately home near Guildford already boasts six reception rooms, nine bedrooms, six bathrooms, a staff flat and eight-car garage.

Now he wants to splash out on a new outdoor pool house boasting a party terrace, bar, whirlpool bath, relaxation, dining and entertaining area.

But he first had to get it past officials at the local council as the proposed site is on green belt land where new buildings are usually deemed ‘inappropriate’.

His 18th Century Palladian-style home is also Grade II listed and lies in a designated conservation area and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Taylor wants to merge an existing pool, gym and two changing rooms into a single natural bath stone building under a zinc roof, designed as a 21st Century classical-style addition to the site. 

Queen drummer Roger Taylor has won a year-long battle with planners to build a pool house and party terrace at his historic £6million Surrey mansion – but his old friend Freddie Mercury will have to step aside first

Taylor’s impressive stately home near Guildford already boasts six reception rooms, nine bedrooms, six bathrooms, a staff flat and eight-car garage

Now he wants to splash out on a new outdoor pool house boasting a party terrace, bar, whirlpool bath, relaxation, dining and entertaining area

Planning permission for a pool house was granted to a previous owner in 1993 but it was never built.

Last year, Taylor submitted amended plans for a new 16ft-high pool house with a 20 per cent bigger footprint but further away from the main house and next to a tennis court.

The proposed site is also in a previously developed area and outside an Area of High Archaeology Potential, and would not require extensive engineering works.

In 2015, Taylor fell out with planners after erecting the 6m-high statue of Freddie Mercury in the grounds of his home without planning permission but was later granted retrospective consent.

The iconic singer’s bronze sculpture was used to promote the band’s musical We Will Rock You and stood outside London’s Dominican Theatre for 12 years until the musical ended in 2014.

In an interview, Roger said: ‘It was in a warehouse, costing money, so I said “why don’t they just put it on a lorry and bring it here, and we’ll put it in the garden?”.

‘I also thought it would be very funny to have the statue there and I think Freddie would have found it hilarious.’

Officials at Guildford Borough Council have now given the go-ahead for the pool house after there were no objections from neighbours or conservationists Historic England. 

A 20ft statue of the rock legend needs to be moved to make way for the proposed development at the sprawling 48-acre estate

Last year, Taylor submitted amended plans for a new 16ft-high pool house with a 20 per cent bigger footprint but further away from the main house and next to a tennis court

The iconic singer’s bronze sculpture was used to promote the band’s musical We Will Rock You and stood outside London’s Dominican Theatre for 12 years until the musical ended in 2014

In an interview, Roger said: ‘It was in a warehouse, costing money, so I said “why don’t they just put it on a lorry and bring it here, and we’ll put it in the garden?”. I also thought it would be very funny to have the statue there and I think Freddie would have found it hilarious.’

Planning officer Maria Vasileiou said: ‘Despite the large size of the outbuilding, it would be of a low profile and would not appear cramped within its setting due to the generous size of the grounds it is set within.

‘It is considered that the outbuilding would preserve the character of the main dwelling and would be an acceptable addition to the application site.

‘As part of the proposal, an existing statue would be relocated within the grounds. The applicant has provided details of the area to which the statue would be located.

‘The case officer and the council’s conservation officer have reviewed this and are satisfied the relocation of the statue would not prejudice either heritage asset.’

In a letter of support, neighbour Richard Griggs wrote: ‘As possibly the only neighbours who would be able to see the new structure from our land, we strongly support this design.

‘Involving less disruption than the extant scheme, the scheme is also more in keeping with the surrounding landscape.’

Earlier this year, Taylor was given the go-ahead for a new gatehouse at his other home in Cornwall which boasts a helipad, tennis court and stunning views across the Helford River.

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