Cate Blanchett wins planning battle to create grand garden at her £1.6million Cornish 'Hollywood on Sea' eco-home

By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:01, 22 July 2026 | Updated: 00:04, 22 July 2026 Cate Blanchett has won a planning battle to create a lavish garden at her luxury eco-home in Cornwall - which experts first said would harm the local bat population. The Oscar-winning actress built her five-bed property in Mawgan Porth - often dubbed as 'Hollywood on Sea' - after she got planning permission to knock down the £1.6million cottage she bought with her playwright husband Andrew Upton in 2022. The couple - whose arrival led to an influx of celebrities visiting the seaside village, such as David Beckham, Kate Winslet, Noel Gallagher, Jason Statham and Jamie Dornan - then entered grand proposals for the land around her cliff-top property which included local plants, trees, boulders and a grass drive. However, concerns over lighting, landscaping and shutters held up the process and the star was eventually forced to withdraw the proposal after experts said the suggested lighting could affect bats. In the original application four different types of lighting feature on the design plan, including eight pole mount path lights, three spike lights under trees, three low level step lights and four wall lights.  Despite the couple initially applying back in January to discharge these conditions in their first plans, the pair then resubmitted fresh designs in May following the withdrawal. They have now been approved by Cornwall Council after they found that the plans were amended to satisfy the concerns.   In its approval notice, officials from Cornwall Council wrote: 'I confirm that the details submitted is acceptable and that where it relates to the submission and written approval of such details you have satisfied and discharged the following conditions.' Cate Blanchett has won a planning battle to create a lavish garden at her luxury eco-home in Cornwall The actress built her five-bed property (pictured) in Mawgan Porth after she got planning permission to knock down the £1.6million cottage she bought with her husband in 2022 Representatives of the couple said they had tried to keep external lighting to a minimum and to make it 'more bat friendly' in accordance with ecologists. They added: 'The exterior lighting is subtle in format, illuminates downwards, and is placed at low-levels or hidden, where possible. 'The pole and pathway lights are reduced in height, at 300mm, and hidden alongside shrubs, plants and boulders within the landscape. These path lights are required for safe navigation of the steep slope and steps between the two elements of the property. 'The path lights have an anti-glare mesh lens incorporated, directing the diffused light downwards. These light fittings are on motion sensors and are therefore only on for short periods of time, for use when navigating between doorways and access routes, avoiding all-night lighting. 'The external lighting direction avoids any mature trees and hedgerows.' The couple said all of the fittings are LED's with a warm white spectrum of 2700k, in accordance with guidance from the Bat Conservation Trust.  The rest of their proposals includes installing hardwood decking next to the house, a grass driveway with concrete stabilisation from Greenstones pavers, as well as corten and cornish granite steps leading up to the large property. The pair hope to have trailing Muehlenbeckia, a deciduous shrub which can be grown as a climber or ground cover, to create 'an evergreen curtain draping along the bank', and place ornamental trees (Phillyrea latifolia) next to the vehicle access site. Blanchett and her playwright husband Andrew Upton (pictured) had to resubmit fresh designs for their garden following ecological concerns regarding bats The rest of their proposals includes installing hardwood decking next to the house, a grass driveway with concrete stabilisation from Greenstones pavers, as well as corten and cornish granite steps leading up to the large property They have also proposed a boundary hedge of new Olearia Traversii, climbers to grow over balustrading (Lonicera alseuosmoides) and Oliaria Traversii to plant along their front room roof. The couple's representatives said the proposed landscape scheme was developed to create a 'pleasant' setting to 'complement' the proposed architecture. They added: 'The intended landscape consists of tree planting, hedges, bank retention planting/ground cover and ornamental grassland. 'The proposal retains as many existing trees as possible within the context of the development proposals around the perimeter of the site and these help to provide an immediate sense of maturity to the scheme and reduce the visual impact of the development from the surrounding areas. 'The proposed trees have been selected for their suitability for the local conditions and to harmonise with the areas established landscape character. 'These areas once established will also create landscape buffers around the site. 'Extensive sea thrift and stonecrop planting amongst paving prove additional valuable nectar and food sources for pollinators in addition to creeping thyme, all reflecting the surrounding cliff top landscape.'  However, an ecologist, who was formally consulted on the plans, said three of the four initial lighting options did 'not comply with the guidance note referenced in the condition wording'. The condition wording of the original application given permission in 2022 stated: 'Prior to the use of the dwelling hereby approved, a lighting plan as set out in the submitted ecological report to comply with Bat Conservation trust Guidance Note shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.' The previous report recommended outside lighting was 'minimised where possible.' It added: 'Where lighting is required for safety or security reasons, it is recommended these are low level, capped to direct light downwards and placed on short timers. 'Metal halide, fluorescent sources must not be used. LED luminaires to be used where possible due to their sharp cut-off, lower intensity, good colour rendition and dimming capability. 'A warm white spectrum will be adopted to reduce blue light component. These would conform with Bat Conservation Trust recommendations for lighting.' The preliminary appraisal of the building in November 2020 had assessed the building to have some suitability for crevice roosting bats. A further survey carried out in May 2021, in the main active season for bats, did not reveal any bat emergence from the building or any evidence of bats within the attic space. There were also deemed to be 'no active bat roosts' in the building that would be impacted by demolition. But the report added: 'As bats were found to forage across the whole area, recommendations are made for a low lighting regime as well as proposals for ecological enhancement of the development.'    They also include the 'mass planting' of olearia bushes, sea thrift, ornamental grasses like Ampelodesmos mauritanicus, and the 'scattering of Cornish boulders'.