Claudia Schiffer has been prevented from installing new plug sockets in her centuries-old mansion because they could damage the antique oak panelling.
The model, 53, and her movie producer husband Matthew Vaughn, 53, wanted to hide “unsightly” plug sockets at their Tudor residence at Coldham Hall in Suffolk by replacing them with new sockets that could be concealed behind furniture.
However, local planning officials said that installing new plug sockets would require holes to be bored into historic oak panelling, which Historic England said potentially dates as far back as the 16th century.
The celebrity couple were ultimately forced to withdraw the request for planning permission to alter the house, which was built in the 1570s.
A submission from the couple argued that “the sockets on the floor are unsightly within the room and restrict the positioning of furniture, and they are potentially vulnerable to anything spilled on the floor”.
It added: “Relocating the sockets on the walls so that they are hidden behind furniture and fittings means they will not be seen, and makes the room safer to use.”
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