The farmer who turned down Denise Coates' millions: Neighbour 'refused to sell his land to Bet365 gambling tycoon' as she tried to expand huge 52-acre estate around her futuristic mansion in Cheshire
- Denise Coates, 53, has been buying land to make her dream home in Cheshire
- So far she is said to have spent £5.5million on making her property a reality
- But one farmer has said he would never sell his land to her for any money
- Edward Colclough said he wished his neighbour well with her building A farmer has revealed how he turned down a 'silly money' deal to buy his land by Bet365 boss Denise Coates for her space-age mansion, declaring 'We're not for sale.'
Edward Colclough rebuffed efforts by the betting queen to snap up his property in Cheshire as it backs onto her planned huge estate.
But although he said he would not sell, he wished her well as his neighbour and said he was looking forward to getting on with her. Private Denise, 53, has been buying up neighbours' houses and land to expand her space-age home nicked 'Tesco Extra' by locals.
This week it emerged she had paid herself £469million -the biggest salary in UK history.
Mr Colcough refused to be drawn on whether a formal offer had been made to him.
But he told MailOnline: 'This farm has been in my family for years. We're not for sale.
Good neighbour: Edward Colcough has said he would never sell his land to Mrs Coates
Farmer Edward Colcough said he would never sell his farm, which has always been in his family
Bet365 boss Denise Coates, 53, increased her salary by 45 per cent, taking her total earnings since 2016 to £1.3 billion. Pictured, in 2012 Mrs Coates was awarded a CBE
Edward Colclough rebuffed Denise Coates's efforts to snap up his property in Cheshire as it backs onto her planned huge estate
'I don't object to her building. She is my neighbour so I will get on with her.'
One close neighbour said: 'She has been trying to buy up all the land as she does not want to be overlooked.'She has been offering silly money. But one farmer has refused to sell, and good on him.'
Artist Steve Marr has run a pottery workshop in a barn on the Mr Colclough's land.
The incredible property is well underway and could be seen being built earlier this month
An artist's impression of how the palatial home of Mrs Coates will look once completed
Designs for the planned house show an incredible palace of glass and steel in the making
The futuristic glass home is complete with a 7,000 square metre artificial lake and boat house
He said: 'The farm has been in the family for donkeys years. I guess that's why he doesn't want to sell.
'We haven't had any offers from her otherwise I would be sitting in the Bahamas.
'Our place is no good to her without the farm land which I believe stretches to where she is building.'
In December 2018 it was revealed that Ms Coates spent a staggering £5.5 million buying up hundreds of acres of farmland which surround her new space age home, snapping up 12 separate plots of land since 2014
Concepts for the palatial property are found in the visualisation made by designers, which show a waterside paradise
The design is incredibly modern and can be seen on public planning application papers lodged with Cheshire East Council
Anyone for tennis? The incredible designs feature a full-sized tennis court and what appears to be a viewing shelter
The property will also feature a modern outdoor space with stone chippings and glass play area surrounded by trees
Neighbouring farmer Ed Nield is believed to have been paid more than £1million to scrap plans for canalside marina so she could build her estate.
Mrs Coates plans are nearing reality after she spent £5.5million buying up hundreds of acres of farmland.
It was dreamt up with the world-renowned architecture firm Foster and Partners, usually best-known for skyscrapers, airports and commercial buildings.
The sprawling home is set in 52 acres of Cheshire parkland and will include an artificial lake, sunken tennis courts, as well as stables, ornamental gardens, workers' cottages and a boathouse.
Mrs Coates took a salary of £421million, topped up with a £48million dividend payment from her 50 per cent stake in the business.
The Coates family are estimated to be worth around £6.8 billion, making Mrs Coates the UK's 5th richest woman behind Marit and Kirsten Rausing, Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Kirsty Bertarelli.
Mrs Coates started working in bookmaking as a teenager when she worked in shops owned by her father, the son of a miner who made his fortune in the sports stadium catering business.
The mother of five children, including four girls adopted from the same family, saw that the future of the industry was online, and mortgaged the betting shops to build the Bet365 website.
She bought the domain name on eBay and launched the site in 2001, growing rapidly thanks to prolific advertising fronted by actor Ray Winston.
The company is now a global leader employing 5,100 out of headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent and Gibraltar.
Bet365 did not respond to a MailOnline request for a comment.
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