PLANS to convert a luxurious £7.5m mansion, rumoured to be linked to a Hollywood megastar, into 10 flats are set to be decided.

The application, by Jose Bernardez, would transform Golden Hill, in Belbins, Romsey, into three two-bedroom flats and seven three-bedroom flats.

Test Valley Borough Council's southern area planning committee will decide the plans on March 14.

The 22,000 sq mansion, which is set in 11 acres off Sandy Lane, began construction in 2004 but was never fully completed and occupied.

Daily Echo: Proposed design, photo: Test Valley Borough Council

It was built as a substantial, exclusive residence complete with a host of features including a 34-seat cinema, 15-berth nuclear shelter, secret underground escape tunnel, underground aquarium, man-made lake, 50ft master bedroom and an underground garage big enough for 10 cars.

It also had 12 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, seven kitchens and a two-bedroom staff apartment.

It went on the market in 2009 for £7.5m and it even caught the eye of footballer John Terry who turned it down because it was too far from Chelsea's training ground in Surrey. The house was also rumoured to have been considered by Johnny Depp when a neighbour thought she saw him in the back of a passing car.

However, it failed to find an owner and instead developers A & B Homes submitted plans to convert it into 13 flats in May 2018.

Daily Echo: Golden Hill, Belbins, near Romsey. Picture from Test Valley Borough Council.

Plans then stalled due to Covid and the planning permission lapsed.

The current application received one comment from a nearby resident. John Lewis, of Belbins, said: “I would ask that you visit the site and re-consider the existing access location, based on the new multi-use aspect of the property as well as the additional highway safety and traffic movements that this multi-use property would generate.

“The previous permission may not have considered the multi-use aspect of the property, rather than the single-use as previously.

“I would also ask that you consider the overgrown flora around the access and the overhead cabling intertwined within the overhanging and out-of-control leylandii trees.”

Daily Echo: Golden Hill, Belbins. Picture by A & B Homes.

The application has been recommended for permission by the council's planning officer.

It will be decided at Test Valley Borough Council's southern area planning committee meeting on March 14.

To view the plans online, search 22/00362/FULLS on the council's planning portal.