The Elmbridge area of Surrey is full of A-list celebrities. This story revealed that house prices were climbing so high that many of them were unable to afford to live in the poshest parts of the borough. The full story appeared in the Surrey Advertiser on Friday, January 15, 2010 and on the Get Surrey website later that day. Here is an excerpt:
RUSSIAN oil tycoons and hedge fund managers make up the bulk of owners on the exclusive St George’s Hill estate in Weybridge – a sign that the area may have lost some of the glitz and glamour of past decades.
The estate, once home to celebrities such as Cliff Richard, John Lennon and Tom Jones, is now filled with power brokers from the City and foreign billionaires.
House prices range from £1.5m to £13m and the estate is popular because it offers good security, huge homes on big plots and plenty of privacy.
But houses have gone beyond the grasp of well-known millionaire entertainers and are now being snapped up by expats and top performers from the City.
Simon Ashwell, a director at high-end estate agent Savills, in Weybridge, explained: “The entertainers and sport stars are all gone. We sold Cliff Richard’s house in 2006, Jensen Button has left – they have all gone.
“I think it’s because whereas in other places, houses have gone down in price, prices at St George’s Hill have gone on rising.
“It’s getting beyond the reach of most celebrities.
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