The Edge wins approval for five Malibu mansions after decade-long battle

Locals and environmentalists are not happy with the U2 man's plans

U2 man The Edge has been granted permission to build five mansions in Malibu, California, following a decade-long battle with locals and environmentalists.

The guitarist – real name David Evans – has been bidding to win approval from Californian officials since buying the 156-acre plot of land in 2005.

In order to secure a U-turn on a previous ruling from the California Coastal Commission, the guitarist had to make major concessions, The Telegraph report, including dedicating 140-acres of the 156-acre site as open space available to hikers and horse-riders.

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The houses will also be built closer together and lower on the coastal hillside in order to preserve more of the character of the Malibu cliffs, with requirements added to plant purple needle grass to replace that destroyed in construction.

Objections to the plan were based on environmental damage and the construction’s impact on neighbours during building works.

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The five mansions had previously been blocked back in 2011, with the Californian Coastal Commission voting 8-4 to prevent the project, citing concerns from environmentalists that the mansions would blight the coastline.

At the time, the commission’s executive director called the project “one of the three worst projects in terms of environmental devastation” that he’d seen, despite The Edge claiming an environmental angle to his plans.

Environmental groups the Sierra Club and Heal the Bay are said to have sent protestors to the committee meeting on Thursday (December 10), despite the new concessions.

Meanwhile, U2 recently returned to Paris to perform the closing shows to their world tour, after earlier gigs had to be postponed due to the November 13 terrorist attacks on the city. The band displayed the names of the Paris dead on screen during the show, with Bono earlier revealing that he’s written a song about the tragedy.

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