Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich Neighbours Fume over Cheyne Walk Home Plan

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich is not the most popular person in the plush neighbourhood of Kensington and Chelsea in central London.

A planning application by the billionaire owner of the European champions has put neighbours' noses out of joint.

Abramovich wants to spend £10m raising the roof height of his home in Cheyne Walk to match that of the neighbouring property.

His plans include ripping out a lift shaft along with a non-original staircase, partition walls and a skylight.

The 45-year-old brought the Grade II listed property just yards from the banks of the Thames to enjoy with girlfriend Dasha Zhukova, 30, and their two-year-old son, Aaron.

But neighbours fear they will lose their riverside views to the super-wealthy Russian.

Four objections to the plans were sent to Kensington and Chelsea council - one more than the threshold at which planning officers have to step in.

One resident said: "I am most definitely against his plans. I feel it is typical of these extremely rich people who just want to do whatever they want at everybody else's expense.

"It is not simply the changes to his home but what this will bring to us - two years of construction work and then a bigger property, more traffic and potentially blocking the view of the river."

The Evening Standard quoted another resident vowing: "We are not going to let this happen."

A council spokesman said: "We are in talks with the agents. This is a complex application given the number of stakeholders, so we are giving it due consideration."