NOT many men would go from being media mogul to property developer and from there to eco-warrior, but Eddy Shah seems to have managed it seamlessly and with some style.

You must remember Shah surely? He hit the headlines big time in the Eighties after becoming the first media magnate to take on the print unions. He launched Today in 1986 and at one point owned 60 newspapers, which he sold for £40 million. But I expect you’ve all been wondering what Shah did then? Well, having become bored with newspapers, he and his wife, Jennifer, who appeared in the original Casino Royale James Bond film,are building £15 million worth of New England-style wooden holiday lodges at their Wiltshire Golf and Country Club at Wootton Bassett, just west of Swindon.

“The kids left home 12 years ago and I didn’t want to go back into newspapers, so I suggested to Jennifer that we do property instead,” says Shah. After they sold the newspaper empire, the couple spent a lot of time in America, where they fell in love with wooden buildings and developed their eco-awareness. Shah, it appears, is not an extravagant man, in spite of his wealth, and he is passionate about money-saving devices. “Houses don’t cost that much to put up. A lot of builders are just ripping people off.” He is an enthusiastic, if unlikely, saviour of the planet. He stomps around his 240 acres greeting the workmen by name, and without exception they smile when they see him. You don’t get that with many bosses.

The houses are built of Canadian pine from managed forests, with slate roofs, and are pleasant and spacious. They are built in citadel fashion, with plenty of nice York stone paths and attention to detail. Importantly, they have proper foundations and full residential spec. There are only about ten properties at the moment, but eventually there will be 44 two and three-storey homes with energy-saving features. Shah opens a big cupboard and spreads his arms wide, like a game-show host. “Look at that! Isn’t it wonderful?” The item in question is an eco-friendly Japanese heating system, which hums quietly and, through something called air-to-water, saves up to 75 per cent on electricity and heating costs. The houses will have other eco-friendly features, such as good insulation and a grey water system so that water from showers and baths can flush the lavatories. The Shahs have spent £30,000 protecting the greater crested newt, which was found on the land.

Shah says: “I told the wildlife people: ‘I’m not spending that much money on newts until I see one’. So they brought me a pair in a jam jar. There they were, with their fat little faces, like pug dogs, and I said: ‘Oh, all right then’.”

There are three types of lodge, the Marlborough, Avebury and Ridgeway. Prices range from £198,000 to £265,000, but it is a planning consent condition that the houses are occupied only for 11 months of the year. They are reasonably priced for what they are; go to the Cotswolds and similar houses will cost you up to three times as much.

Jennifer Shah has done the interiors, and very well. They are light, bright and airy, with blond wood and imaginative light fittings. The kitchens are Neff, and the attention to detail is good, with thick doors and robust brass window fittings. Outside are golfbag stands for shoes and clubs, plus the clubhouse pool, spa and restaurant — where they serve great steaks. Perhaps after this Shah might retire? “Oh no, I’m superstitious about that. That’s when you start to die. It’s not the money that interests me, it’s the next new idea.”

The Wiltshire Golf and Country Club: 01793 849999, www.the-wiltshire.co.uk

Fact file

The value of property in Wootton Bassett has increased 6 per cent in the past year, compared with the national average of 5.8 per cent. The average house price locally is now £230,000 (the national average is £172,000). All figures from Hometrack. One-bedroom flats in Wootton Bassett cost from £102,500, small terraced houses from £127,500 and detached homes from £235,000. Contact Samuel Miles estate agents, 01793 855558.

RUSSELL SACH

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