Beyoncé and Jay-Z set to transform tiny Cotswold village with mega-estate

The Cotswolds have a reputation for quaint, sleepy villages, far removed from the hustle and bustle of cities. But, thanks to power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z, that could all change.

It's been reported that the couple are in the final stages of purchasing land with the intent to build a 'mega-estate' on the edge of Wigginton, an Oxfordshire village which currently boasts a population under 200, no shop and no pub.

Beyoncé, 44, and Jay-Z, 55, are estimated to be the world's richest couple and have secured planning permission to build on a 58-acre plot just outside the village. Designs show they plan to eventually have a seven bedroom, nine bathroom mansion there.

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While the Carters would no doubt be two of the most-high profile people to move to the area, they are far from the only celebs to pick The Cotswolds as an area to relocate to.

The Beckhams have set up home not far from where the Carters plan to live, as has Kate Moss, while Ellen DeGeneres is also rumoured to have bought a £15million Cotswolds farmhouse.

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It seems the quiet nature of the Cotswolds has been a draw for many celebrities. Though, for local residents, the allure it has for celebrities isn't necessarily a positive.

Speaking to The Times, an employee of The Falkland Arms in Great Tew, where the Beckhams live, said: "We love our local clientele and we don’t want the couple’s arrival to bring in a different sort."

The sleepiness of the Cotswolds isn't the only thing that has drawn Beyoncé and her husband to the area though. Or, more accurately, its not the only thing that's drawn them away from Los Angeles.

The couple reportedly began searching for new places to live during the LA wildfires earlier this year, which is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of anywhere between 31 and 440 people.

They are still expected to maintain LA as their primary base of operations, as a source said the the Daily Mail's Eden Confidential: "They will always be based in LA.

"But the UK is on the agenda," they added. "Beyoncé loves the UK because they support everything she does."

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