Robbie Williams’ 11-year bid to sell the country mansion he bought for £8.1million is being hampered by fears that buyers are being put off by a nearby landfill site, MailOnline can reveal.
The singer has priced the historic house at £6.75m – £1.35m less than he paid in 2009, despite average UK property prices having gone up by 65 per cent.
Williams (47) has attempted to repeatedly sell his seven bedroom, seven-bedroom estate on 71 acres ever since he purchased it. However, he was unable to find any buyer.
Local residents believe that one of the reasons it failed to sell was the close proximity of the landfill, which is visible from its upstairs windows.
Exclusive pictures obtained by MailOnline show how heaps of stinking rubbish collected from homes and businesses are clearly visible from Williams’ home.
Just half a mile from Robbie Williams Wiltshire house, photographs show the driver of a digger dumping bags of rubbish into large piles. Meanwhile, hungry seagulls fly above Compton Bassett and Calne.
When the trees in the area are fully leafed, the landfill is nearly hidden by the 18th-century property.
The view taken from the above landfill site shows Williams’ mansion, which is shown in red. It sits across a field that’s less than one mile away.
Local villagers believe that the primary reason the sprawling pad is not selling is because of the close proximity to the landfill. This can be seen through some of its upstairs windows and can sometimes ‘hum’ during the summer.
Williams should have been aware of the existence of the garbage dump before he purchased the house, which had previously belonged to Lord Foster. (Pictured with Ayda Williams at the London event in 2019).
The half-mile landfill location is hidden almost entirely from the 18th-century property.
However, it is not possible to block the view of the unattractive dump that lies to the side of your house once autumn leaves begin to fall.
These photos were taken last week and show a digger driver dumping large quantities of rubbish into massive piles, while seagulls fly above near Compton Bassett in Wiltshire.
Residents have complained that the smells emanating from the site can waft across open country before it is possible to bury the garbage under earthen mounds.
One villager said: ‘Why would you pay millions for somewhere where you look out on a rubbish tip. If you have that much money to spend you want the most perfect views’
Another local added: ‘There is no escaping the fact that there is a huge rubbish dump very close to the property.
‘The smell is not that bad in the winter months, but it can hum a bit in the hot summers. It all depends on how the wind blows.
‘Any wealthy person, and you have to be seriously rich to maintain the house, does not want to get stuck behind a refuse truck that are constantly arriving at the site.’
The village residents said that Take That’s former star and his family have not been able to live full-time at the vast estate in recent years.
Williams and his wife Ayda and four children are instead believed to spend most of their time at his £24m estate overlooking Lake Geneva in Switzerland.
Sweeping: The property is located close to the quaint village of Compton Bassett in Wiltshire
The 60s are merged with modernity: 5 reception rooms, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness room and a steamroom make up the facility.
Niche: The décor and accents are a clear nod to their eccentric owners
Tranquil: The property boasts its own parkland and woods, as well as a football pitch, on which soccer-mad Robbie will have no doubt enjoyed honing his ball skills
The singer’s property portfolio also includes a Beverley Hills mansion and a £17m home in Notting Hill, West London.
Williams tried in vain to sell his Wiltshire house in 2010 and again in 2015 when he slashed £1m from the asking price.
Potential buyers were put off by the unpleasant smells such as rotten eggs and other waste products when the property was placed on the market again.
When he purchased the home, Lord Foster had previously owned it.
After apparently falling for the property’s helicopter hangar, formal gardens and fountains with temples and fountains, he ignored all concerns.
The house had also a basement swimming-pool, which was approached from a lobby that featured black and white floors inspired by Pierce Brosnan’s Thomas Crown Affair.
The original purpose of the house was to be a huge stabling block that horses could use. It was built by owners who lived in a 1674 country home nearby.
It was eventually converted to a residence after it was destroyed in 1929. In 1998, the house underwent extensive renovations by its previous owners.
The work on the property was so extensive that a new electricity substation reportedly had to be installed at a cost of £350,000 as it was using so much energy.
Williams said that he had made further improvements to the property, including a movie room and football pitch, as well as a quad-bike track.
The singer, who is worth an estimated £80m, once described the house as an ‘impulse’ buy, saying he thought it was an ideal place to bring up his family.
He talked of his affection for the property, saying it was where he an Ayda ‘truly fell in love’.
Williams was very complimentary of it and stated that it was family-friendly. He also said it was ideal for Theodora (nine), Charlton (six), Colette (three), Beau, 21 months, and Colette (three).
While the property is currently rambling, it only has a security guard and an estate manager. The White Horse is a local pub they are often seen in.
Hills Waste Solutions was the operator of the landfill site. Hills blamed the smells coming from the site over a number years on the gases in the buried waste. To address this problem, they installed sprays industrially similar to those used to freshen the air.
The smells are believed to have emerged from heavy winter rains that drenched garbage that was not covered with soil. This led to the release of more gases as waste and water mix decomposed.
A resident complained to the parish council about the smell, and he said it could have an impact on residents in nearby villages.
He said: ‘It causes people to close their windows. Residents have got fed up with complaining as they can’t see how it’s going to end. It’s depressing.
“The smell is worse than rotten eggs” and can have a negative impact on house prices. There’s a few bed and breakfasts and it could affect their businesses as nobody wants to stay in a place with a pong.’
Peter Szczesiak is the chairman of Compton Bassett Parish Council. He stated that the landfill had been there since 1977 when he first moved to the village.
He added: ‘Back then it was a council run site and it has expanded but not in recent years.
‘There have been no recent complaints about any smells from the site. I have no idea why Mr Williams home has not sold.’
But other locals remain convinced that the landfill site will be a deterrent to potential buyers of Williams’ home.
A former military housing estate was home to residents who claimed that they could still smell the waste in the summer.
A former soldier living about a mile from the site, said: ‘It does get a bit strong now and then.
‘Some people might be put off having a landfill so close, but there could be other reasons it hasn’t sold.’
Estate agents Knight Frank recently listed the house for £6.75m, describing the asking price as ‘realistic’.
Agents tasked to sell the house, which also includes two flats for staff and a detached cottage, did not mention the proximity of the landfill.
When Williams’ house went up for sale for the second time, it was criticized for the obnoxious smells such as rotten eggs that were drifting from the dump site.
When he purchased the home, Lord Foster had previously owned it.
Hills Waste Solutions, a landfill operator, blamed the smells at the site many years ago for gases seeping through the buried refuse. They installed industrial sprays that are similar to air fresheners in an attempt to address the issue.
Peter Szczesiak is chairman of Compton Bassett Parish Council. He stated that the landfill (pictured) has been there since his 1977 move to the village.
They describe it as ‘a remarkable period house, recently restored to an exemplary standard with superb indoor pool and magical gardens.’
The property details say the house is ‘approached via a sweeping drive through attractive parkland’ and is ‘an exceptional country house nestled within its own land’.
The details add: ‘The leisure complex is of an exceptional standard, with a gym, indoor swimming pool extending to over 73ft in length, hot tub, steam room, sauna and changing rooms
‘Outside there is integrated garaging, helicopter hangar and workshop. It boasts a beautiful garden and grounds with a pavilion, water feature and tennis courts. There is a grass football pitch, paddocks and woodland.’
Refuse trucks carrying rubbish to the landfill site from nearby towns do not drive along the narrow country road leading to Williams’ home.
They instead use Calne’s main road. A sign at the location warns drivers which way to go when driving away.