A Premier League footballer has been dragged into a row with neighbours after building an ‘on-street’ parking bay outside his £2million mansion.
Manchester City goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is said to have tarmaced over the grass verge of the property without the required planning permission.
According to The Sun, the 33-year-old also found himself in hot water after chopping down large trees at the front of the mansion in Cobham, Surrey.
Around half a dozen residents on the private estate have objected to the concrete development, describing it as ‘visually intrusive’. They also cited an ‘erosion of green landscape’, fearing it will set a precedent allowing others to tarmac over their grass.
Bettinelli says the bay is within the boundary of his sprawling pad, and he has applied for retrospective consent. However, planners could still tell him to tear up the work.
One objector wrote in a letter: ‘Parking on a verge is completely against the character of this estate and against its development guidelines.
Marcus Bettinelli is involved in a row with neighbours after tarmacing over a grass verge
The goalkeeper was on the books at Chelsea before joining Manchester City this summer
‘There are no parking bays on verges anywhere on the estate. It is an erosion of green landscape, replaced by tarmac.
‘The property already has parking for multiple vehicles, having converted its entire garden to hardstanding. An additional parking bay is unnecessary.’
Another objector had a similarly damning verdict, writing: ‘The additional parking space introduces a visually intrusive expanse of tarmac, eroding the landscaped frontages that define the road and makes the street scene less attractive.
‘If approved, this application would set a precedent for other properties to remove green frontages for additional parking, resulting in cumulative erosion of the estate’s character and streetscape.’
Documents filed at Elmbridge Council reveal the parking bay was built in February.
In a statement, his planning agent said: ‘The area in question falls entirely within the ownership boundary of the property and has been developed.
‘The works undertaken are minimal in nature and have no impact on the surrounding properties, street scene or character of the area. The property owner was unaware that planning permission would be required for such minor alterations.’
Bettinelli’s mansion was bought for £1.5m in 2023 but is now said to be worth £2m after permission was granted to build a new kitchen and bedroom extension.
The goalkeeper moved to City in June, signing a one-year contract to act as a back-up option. He had joined Chelsea in 2021 but made just one appearance.
Daily Mail Sport has contacted Bettinelli’s representatives for comment.
