Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in row over illegal summerhouse at £25m Hampshire mansion

Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in row over illegal summerhouse at £25m Hampshire mansion The building breaches rules established more than 50 years ago - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley have found themselves in a planning row over a summerhouse at their £25 million Hampshire estate, following revelations that the structure breaches rules established over half a century ago. The Hollywood actor and the model purchased the seafront property in 2024. However, they have been told that the two-storey outbuilding, which they have used to accommodate guests, violates planning conditions set 51 years prior to their purchase. Under the original rules, the structure is strictly designated for use as a “swimming pool pavilion”. The issue arose after the previous owners of the New Forest property failed to obtain formal planning consent to convert the building into a residential space. Statham, 58, and Huntington-Whiteley, 39, are now seeking to have the summerhouse officially declared lawful. The building currently includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, alongside a fully fitted kitchen, dining space, and living area. Situated in a secluded location near Beaulieu, within the New Forest National Park, the waterside residence was reportedly bought for about £20 million, with construction costs estimated at £5 million. The extensive grounds feature a private 1,200ft beach, a wild swimming pool, a boating lake, stables, a gym, a yoga studio, and a large treehouse. The modern six-bedroom house, laid out in a U-shape, with a courtyard and sunken seating pit, surrounding the lap pool, has a spectacular view of the Solent. The couple's new planning application comes after the couple secured permission for the 20-acre site to have a number of changes made, including a change to the position of the driveway and removal of part of the lake. Statham, who bought the property in 2024, has applied for a 'certificate of lawfulness' to establish that the summerhouse's existing use as ancillary residential accommodation is lawful. Planning documents reveal that Fast and Furious star Statham argues that the summerhouse has been used as an outbuilding for more than 10 years and so it should be able to remain as it is. The historic planning permission that was granted in 1973 for the site of the summerhouse stated that it should be a swimming pool pavilion with plant and filtration, changing areas and sitting room together with a small boat house. The current summerhouse would be in breach of this condition, as it is used in a residential capacity. The application says that the previous owners had used the summerhouse since 2012, both themselves and also for guests who visited the property. It says that the layout has remained the same in the summerhouse since its refurbishment in 2019. The application says: "Planning permission was granted on 28 February 1973... at the site of the Summerhouse for a 'swimming pool pavilion with plant and filtration, changing areas and sitting room together with a small boat house'. "The Original Permission contained a condition... that the Summerhouse would be used for purposes incidental to the enjoyment of the Property. "Since at least February 2012 the summerhouse building has been used as the Summerhouse with ancillary residential accommodation (i.e. ancillary to the Property), in breach of the condition on the Original Permission. "Pre-application advice was obtained in March 2025 for a related proposal... in which the New Forest National Park Authority (‘the NFNPA’) advised that the use of the Summerhouse is potentially in breach of a condition on the Original Permission. "The NFNPA further advised that it may be possible to demonstrate this use is lawful due to the length of time it has been in place, making it immune from enforcement action. "Since at least February 2012, the Summerhouse has contained a kitchen area, dining area, living area and bedrooms, defining its use as a summerhouse building with living accommodation ancillary to the main dwelling. "Since 2012, the Summerhouse has been used by former owners Kim Margaret Buckland and John Milford Buckland and their visitors, and then by [Statham] and his visitors following his purchase of the Property in March 2024." It adds: "The evidence proves demonstrably on the balance of probabilities that the ancillary residential use of the Summerhouse, in breach of condition on the Original Permission, has subsisted for more than 10 years and is now outside of the immunity period for planning enforcement as set out at S171B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990." In a published submission on Statham's bid for a lawful development certificate, one previous owner, John Buckland, said: "In 2012, with my wife, I purchased the property from the Downes family, who had owned the property for many years. "We continued to use the summerhouse with the residential accommodation and we then carried out refurbishment works to it in late 2018." Beaulieu Parish Council also considered the summerhouse's history, stating that on the balance of probabilities the building had been used as ancillary residential accommodation for more than 10 years. The certificate application concerns the existing use of the summerhouse as accommodation ancillary to the main dwelling. It is not an application to establish the building as a separate, independent home. The application is yet to be decided. The property was designed by architects Ben Pentreath and Nicholas Umney and was described as: "A contemporary new-build house, stables, and landscaping on a sea-front property on the south coast of England. "The sprawling single-level house is designed around a strict three-dimensional grid which provides formality, scale, axes and symmetry. "The U-shaped house is built around a rigorously square central courtyard with a lap pool enclosing the fourth side. Although contemporary in design the house is built of traditional materials which will soften in the coastal forest environment." The latest application comes after a planning row erupted when Statham applied to build a new driveway and remove part of the lake to create a wildflower meadow. Ecologists raised concerns about the impact it would have on great crested newts, however Statham was successful in his application in July of this year. According to reports, Huntington-Whiteley had her heart set on rural living. Earlier this year she told Australian Vogue that she was preparing to move to the New Forest and that "I’ve been dreaming of this since I left home".