Chez Neville: Gary's current home in Bolton,
complete with MUFC sculptured hedge opposite the front
gate
He is
used to lining up alongside Giggsy, Rooney and
Rio.
Now it seems Gary Neville could
soon be rubbing shoulders with Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa
and Po.
For the Manchester United star
wants to build a country home almost entirely underground - and
locals have already dubbed it a second
Teletubbyland.
These computer-generated
pictures reveal how the multi-million pound luxury eco-bunker would
look in the heart of rural Lancashire.
And, appearance-wise, there are
indeed similarities with the dwelling occupied by the cuddly TV
characters.
Almost all the home will be
built into the hillside, which, according to design firm Make
Architects, 'enables the surrounding moorland to seamlessly flow
across the roof'.
Red Devil with a green dream: Artist's impression
of Gary Neville's new eco-home on moors beside his current mansion
in Bolton which he hopes to power through solar power and wind
energy
Low profile: The innovative design is intended to
have minimal impact on views of the Lancashire hills and has been
likened to a Neolithic settlement
Time for bye-byes: The artist's impression suggests
soft lighting in the 'six petals' of the house will prevent home
from being a blot on the landscape at night-time
Its
flower-like blueprint has petals radiating from a central kitchen,
each designated as respective areas to 'eat, relax, entertain, work
and play'.
The architects have compared it
to Skara Brae neolithic settlement in Orkney, because of the way it
is built into the ground.
But locals prefer the Teletubby
comparison. One said: 'Some people have already been sniggering
about it looking like the Teletubby house and going "Eh Oh" when
they talk about it.'
Gary Neville shows his green credentials driving to
the training ground in a Toyota Prius part-fuel, part-electricity
car
One
Manchester
United fan
said: 'Gary
has
obviously worked very hard but some of the Old Trafford lads have
already been sniggering about it looking like the Teletubbies house
and going "eh oh" when they talk about it .
'One or two keep talking about
Neville Neville land gets a Tinky Winky house in the
garden.'
Neville, 34, bought a farming
hamlet near Bolton five years ago and built a
12-bedroom mansion there for himself and wife
Emma.
If approved by Bolton Council,
the 8,000sq ft bunker will be built in the grounds of the £8million
estate and boast the latest eco-technology, in line with Neville's
proclaimed passion for the environment.
However, a disgruntled
neighbour said: 'The place used to be an extremely modest farmhouse
and now the whole thing is out of character.'
Hub of the home: The elegant kitchen in Gary
Neville's new eco bunker, with a choice of views
If plans for the project are
approved, the building will have solar panel, a wind turbine and a
ground source heat pump.
Energy produced from the wind
turbine would be used to power his neighbouring property with any
extra energy supplying the national grid, helping to reduce his
family's carbon footprint.
The structure is so advanced the government
wants to use the scheme as a benchmark for all future zero-carbon
developments.
In the family? Gary Neville
with wife Emma (left) and the wrought-iron gates to Phil and Julia
Neville's home, with gaudy initials
He is not the only member of
his family to have expensive tastes. His younger brother Phil and
his wife Julie had golden gates entwined with the initials P and J,
which were also included in the carpet design, at their £4million
Versace-themed mansion in Crawshawbooth, Lancashire.