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A bitter urban planning debate in one of London's most expensive areas has turned into open conflict between an Indian billionaire couple and their neighbors in Notting Hill.
According to the Daily Mail, Indian businessman Anand Ahuja and his wife, Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor, are accused by residents of a neighboring residential complex of using their economic clout to pressure them during a three-year-long dispute.
It all started in 2023, when the couple bought a 200-year-old historic villa in west London for £21 million. They then presented plans for a complete renovation of the property, proposing to demolish the entire interior and keep only the four exterior walls. The project also includes an underground swimming pool and a basketball court beneath the villa.
The works and urban planning debates caused concerns among residents of the adjacent Hillcrest building, who opposed the project due to noise and impact on the area. After a long battle with complaints and appeals, British authorities approved the couple's plans.
However, according to residents, the conflict did not end there. They claim that companies linked to the couple have bought five apartments in their building, worth a total of around £4 million, with the intention of using them for the luxury villa's staff.
Residents fear that purchasing the apartments will give the couple influence over the building's management and the ability to control internal decision-making.
The same company is also said to have purchased the building's garage, which is currently used as a warehouse, but which, according to residents, could serve as the couple's luxury car collection.
Tensions rose even more after, according to the Daily Mail, company representatives warned during a private meeting that if residents continued their public objections, the apartments could be turned into "social housing."
In an email exchange between residents and the company Shahi Exports, the possibility that publishing complaints in the media could lead to this scenario was also mentioned.
Some residents claim the aim is to exert psychological pressure on them. One of them stated that the couple wants to turn the building into “another private playground.”
Others said that legal letters have also been sent to residents who have opposed the project in the past and that many of them are now afraid to speak out publicly.
According to reports, the couple has so far spent around £4.7 million on works on the villa alone.
Anand Ahuja runs the billion-dollar family business "Shahi Exports", one of India's largest clothing manufacturing companies, while Sonam Kapoor is one of Bollywood's most popular figures and the daughter of famous actor Anil Kapoor.
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