Fury of banker's neighbours over his plans to install a golf simulator and bar in a massive games bunker beneath his 'eyesore' £1.2million home they've nicknamed 'the Lego house'

A City financier has sparked a row with his wealthy neighbours over plans to excavate a massive 'games bunker' under his luxury home to accommodate a golf simulator and bar.Tim Woolford caused outrage after he sought permission to install the basement games room underneath the driveway of his large modern home worth around £1.2million in sought-after Winchester.The huge subterranean hangout will be 13 feet deep and feature a simulator for his golf-enthusiast sons as well as other games facilities and a designer bar.But many neighbours on his tree-lined Hampshire street say they have environmental concerns about him tearing up his driveway to build the den and fear that the building work will impact their lives for months.The banker, 40, who has lived with his wife and two sons in the house for six years, plans to install a golf simulator, a bar area, a games area with a pool table, and seating area.Winchester City Council has now approved the plans for the extension which will be over 30 feet across in both width and length - despite an initial recommendation for refusal by their planning officer.Tim Woolford, who is managing director of a London finance management company, has been in dispute with his neighbours over his plans to build a games bunkner beneath his home The married father-of-two, 40, has been given the go ahead to build a subterranean hangout 13 feet deep that will feature a simulator for his two golf-enthusiast sons and a designer bar Mr Woolford says his complaining neighbours have misunderstood his plans and added that he had gone out of his way to cause minimalise disruption to them by building beneath his homeNeighbours already refer to Mr Woolford's home as 'the Lego house' because of its strikingly modern design - which they think is an eyesore and not in keeping with the predominantly Edwardian properties nearby.Keith Hatter, 79, who is completely blind and has lived on the street for 14 years, said: 'I was one of those who objected.'I worry for my safety around building work because I am blind. Previously, when work was carried out there five years ago, it went on for a long time.'It is going to be a significant disruption to me and the other people on the street and it is going to be difficult for me to get up and down the road.'The main other reason was that it involves digging out the ground in front of the house, and I am slightly worried that this might have an effect on the soil structure.'It would involve trees and general flora in front of the house being removed and have a slightly detrimental environmental effect.'Hazel Agombar, who has lived on the street for 20 years, said she did not think that more work should be done to the property.She said: 'I didn't want it to set a precedent of people applying for basement extensions because of the disruption that would mean.'We are very lucky. This is a lovely street, people get on. It's very green and leafy, and I just thought it was a poor reason to try to change the character of it and try to navigate that disruption.'We have people who are wheelchair users regularly using the street.'Mrs Agombar added that she thought the decision went against the council's local plan to make Winchester more environmentally friendly.She said: 'It is for a golf simulation room. This is crazy. They have this massive house with a cinema room and garden.'If you want a bigger house, maybe you should move if you want to dig up a conservation area.'The council has allowed a highly intensive carbon footprint development. Digging up that drive is going to be hugely carbon intensive.''It is only one development but it seems like it is starting a precedent.'They had work done five years ago, and now they are wanting to dig up more of the site.'Mrs Agombar said it was 'bonkers' that the proposal had been approved.However Mr Woolford, who is managing director of a London finance management company, says objectors have misunderstood his plans.He insists they have tried to create an extension plan that would have the least impact for the neighbours - which was why they decided to dig underground.He said: 'Our view was that we wanted to do something that would impact people the absolute least as possible.'Some of the people who objected misunderstood what would be here when the builders were done.'In London basements are so common it is untrue.'He said that he wanted to build the space to cater to his two sons, who are seven and eight.He said: 'We have kids who are growing, and it is good for them. We didn't actually think there would be any discussions about the plans.'Mr Woolford said that he would like to put a golf simulator in the basement, as both his sons are interested in the sport.He said that one of his sons plays the guitar and he thought that it would be less disruptive to neighbour if he were to practice in a basement.Mr Woolford said that he and his wife would still be able use the driveway to park on when the building work was completed, so this would not affect the on-street parking or significantly alter the property's appearance.'We did quite a few developments to the house a few years ago, but arguably this has been more contentious.' Neighbours call Mr Woolford's home 'the Lego house' because its modern appearance is out of keeping with the predominantly Edwardian properties down the desirable road in WinchesterHe said that the process should be reasonably fast and should not cause very much disruption to the neighbours.He said: 'It is actually a quick build. The soil can be taken out within a week. We should be done in about 10 to 12 weeks, so much more minimal than people expect.'He said that the complaints were a 'group effort' and they came from houses further down the street who were not as affected by the works.Mr Woolford said that they had renovated the house after a woman died and hadn't been redone since the 1980s.He added: 'People go into their lofts and convert garages butI didn't want to go into the loft and put big windows and I don't have a garage to convert.'