Over £500,000 needed to properly soundproof Megan and Harry’s house – not an option of ordinary people suffering the din
The bill to renovate Harry and Meghan’s home has been hugely increased by their wish to have the very best, most effective soundproofing – to block out the noise of planes using Heathrow. Their house, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, is about 5 miles from Heathrow, under a main flight path. Experts claim specialist insulation work could have cost between £500,000 and £1 million. This money comes from the Sovereign Grant, valued at £82.2 million this year and is profits from the Queen’s property portfolio (the Crown Estate), which are paid to the Government. 25% of these profits are paid to the monarchy to fund the upkeep of its property, travel, security and staff. While the Sovereign Grant isn’t taxpayer money, it is considered to be public funds. The work done on Frogmore Cottage includes extra layers above the ceilings, plus on about 12,000 sq ft of external walls. Also all exterior doors would need to be soundproofed and 68 windows upgraded to triple-glazing, at up to £1,000 each. Then there would be a new air-conditioning system, as the house would be so sealed up. Ordinary people living over 3 miles from Heathrow have to pay for all the sound insulation work themselves. Those nearer get basic payment only.
.
Tweet
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry: Did we pay £500k for soundproofing at Frogmore Cottage?
Duke and Duchess of Sussex live beneath flight path and part of their £2.4m renovation was expensive soundproofing
By Patrick Hill (Mirror)
29 JUN 2019
The bill to renovate Harry and Meghan’s home soared after they asked for soundproofing to block out noise from Heathrow planes.
Experts claim specialist work on Frogmore Cottage could have cost between £500,000 and £1million out of the £2.4million spent so far on renovating their house.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan needed the work to block out the roar of 1,300 jets a day taking off and landing directly over their luxury Windsor home, five miles west of Heathrow. Frogmore Cottage in Windsor lies below a flight path.
Without it they might have struggled to get a decent night’s kip for themselves and two-month-old son Archie.
The original reported estimate for soundproofing was just £50,000. But experts now believe the figure is much higher.
Locals reacted with fury that the couple, both millionaires, had not paid for the lion’s share of the work themselves – while ordinary folk have to fork out thousands of pounds.
Businessman Kye Merkett, 45, who lives in Datchett, four miles from Heathrow, said: “There’s no reason they couldn’t pay for it.
“They should put their hand in their own pocket or put up with the noise like the rest of us.”
….
The royal couple left Kensington Palace in April, amid reports of a rift with Prince William and his wife Kate.
“Why did they need to move to Frogmore? There are plenty of other places they could have gone where Archie could get a good night’s sleep.”
The newlyweds left their previous home at Kensington Palace, where Prince William and Kate also live, and moved into 19th Century Frogmore Cottage at the end of April amid reports of a rift between the couples.
This money comes from the Sovereign Grant, valued at £82.2 million this year and comprised of profits from the Queen’s property portfolio (the Crown Estate), which are paid to the Government.
Twenty-five per cent of these profits are paid to the monarchy to fund the upkeep of its property, travel, security and staff.
While the Sovereign Grant isn’t taxpayer money, it is considered to be public funds, belonging to the state.
Money for the Frogmore renovation comes from the Sovereign Grant, valued at £82.2million this year and comprised of profits from the Queen’s property portfolio (the Crown Estate), which are paid to the Government.
Twenty-five per cent of the profits go to the monarchy to fund the upkeep of its property, travel, security and staff.
While the Sovereign Grant is not taxpayer money, it is considered public funds, belonging to the State.
Frogmore Cottage was previously five separate quarters for servants.
Experts believe the soundproofing to the Grade II-listed house includes new “blocking layers” under the 7,500 sq ft tiled roof.
Further layers would have been needed above the ceilings and within an estimated 12,000 sq ft of external walls.
All exterior doors would need to be soundproofed and 68 windows upgraded to triple-glazing, at up to £1,000 each.
Soundproofing technicians claim the work could cost between £500,000 and £1million. As a result, a new air-condi- tioning system would have to have been installed to avoid harmful moisture.
Meghan, 37, has been working closely with architects and builders throughout the renovation of Frogmore, which was a gift to her and Harry from the Queen.
The final bill may top £3million. It reportedly includes painting interior and exterior walls with vegan paint, removing partitions, creating new doors, replacing staircases and adding bathrooms, bedrooms, a nursery and a kitchen with a “floating floor”.
Substantial rewiring meant providing the house with its own electrical sub- station, while gas and water mains were upgraded.
Designs submitted to Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council have included two orangeries.
The cost of redecoration, believed to include lavish furnishings costing £250,000, is not included in the £2.4million.
And under Palace rules the royals do not have to declare any expenses spent on property that come in under £350,000.
A source said: “Harry and Meghan would find it very difficult to live there without proper soundproofing because of the scale of the noise pollution.
“All the soundproofing work would need to be of a high enough standard to take into account a third runway being installed at Heathrow in the future, so there shouldn’t be any more work needed.”
Residents who live within approximately three miles of Heathrow – where the noise level is above 57 decibels – can apply for funds towards soundproofing.
But residents just outside have to foot the bill themselves.
Retired councillor Malcolm Beer, 84, said: “We live around six miles from the end of the runway and we’re not eligible for any compensation. If people here want to soundproof their homes they have to pay for it. They can’t rely on handouts.
[For the small number eligible for the Heathrow schemes, this is all they get – details below:
- 50% of the cost of replacement windows and external doors, or free secondary-glazing
- free loft insulation and ventilation ]
“This will rankle with a lot of people. I’m far from pleased. If you’ve got the TV on and a plane flies past you won’t hear a thing. The only option is to turn up the volume and if you open a window for ventilation, you’re scuppered. It’s a nightmare.”
Graham Smith, of anti-monarchy group Republic, said: “They should be paying for their own refurbishment.”
A Palace spokesman last night said the cost of soundproofing would be nowhere near £1million, but refused to elaborate on specific details.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Speculation that £1million of the renovations at Frogmore was spent on soundproofing is a wildly inaccurate fabrication.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/meghan-markle-harry-pay-500k-17279693?
.
.
By contrast, this is the stingy amount of money Heathrow offers, by way of sound insulation:
https://www.heathrow.com/noise/what-you-can-do/apply-for-help/noise-insulation-schemes
Noise insulation schemes
We developed our noise insulation schemes to provide practical assistance to those local residents experiencing the highest levels of aircraft noise.
Day Noise Insulation Scheme
The Day Noise Insulation Scheme is designed to protect those homes exposed to the aircraft noise in the day, including in the early morning arrival period before 6am.
Approximately 9,300 homes fall within the Day Noise Insulation Scheme boundary. These properties are eligible to receive:
- 50% of the cost of replacement windows and external doors, or free secondary-glazing
- free loft insulation and ventilation
Night Noise Insulation Scheme
The Night Noise Insulation Scheme is designed to address the impact of night flights on local residents. The scheme boundary is based on the footprint of the noisiest planes that operate between 11:30pm and 6am.
Approximately 37,000 homes fall within the Night Noise Insulation Scheme boundary. These properties are eligible to receive:
- 50% of the cost of replacement bedroom or bedsitting room windows, or free secondary-glazing of bedroom or bedsitting room windows
- free loft insulation and ventilation
Quieter Homes Scheme
The Quieter Homes Scheme covers approximately 1,200 homes located close to Heathrow which experience the highest level of aircraft noise.
You can find out more about this scheme here.
Our noise insulation suppliers
Heathrow’s framework suppliers are Nationwide Windows and Newview Homes Ltd (T/A Newview Windows & Conservatories). Both companies are registered with Competent Person Schemes for the replacement of windows and doors under the Building Regulations. Nationwide Windows are registered with CERTASS and Newview Homes Ltd are registered with FENSA.
Applying for the schemes
To register your interest, or to find out if you are eligible to apply, please contact the Noise Helpdesk on 0800 344844 or email communityschemes@heathrow.com
.
https://www.heathrow.com/noise/what-you-can-do/apply-for-help/noise-insulation-schemes
.
.
.