Billionaire ex-Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis accused of 'blocking' picturesque sea view off Devon coast with his £250million 322-foot superyacht

Billionaire former Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis has been accused of obstructing scenic views for holidaymakers with his £250 million superyacht, Aviva, which was docked off the coast of Devon during the Bank Holiday weekend. The 322-foot vessel, custom-built in 2017, is reportedly used as a floating home and features luxurious amenities including marble interiors, an office, and a padel court. Local residents and tourists have criticized the yacht for blocking panoramic vistas from the nearby areas of Bovisands, Jennycliff, and Staddon Heights in Plymouth Sound. The superyacht, which arrived from Gibraltar earlier in the summer, has been stationed near the Plymouth breakwater, drawing complaints from visitors. Sandra Hunter, a resident from Bridgwater, Somerset, expressed frustration over the disruption to the natural beauty of the coastal region. She stated that the yacht’s presence has hindered her family’s traditional holiday experience, particularly the breathtaking sea views she and her husband have enjoyed for years. “These yachts belong in Monaco, not off the quiet Devon coastline,” she remarked, adding that the sight of the superyacht was “very strange” and hoped it would be relocated to the Mediterranean in the future. The area surrounding the yacht is adjacent to two well-known holiday parks, Bovisands Lodge Holiday Park and Cedar Park, which attract numerous families each year. The controversy surrounding Aviva echoes past incidents involving the superyacht. Two years prior, Lewis had docked the vessel in Dartmouth, sparking similar backlash. A local resident at the time described the yacht as a “huge floating gin palace,” noting its size compared to other boats in the harbor. While the crew frequently came and went via a tender, there were no sightings of Lewis himself aboard. The superyacht, which sleeps 16 people and can reach speeds of 20 knots, operates on an eco-friendly hybrid electric propulsion system. Its long absence from British waters was due to legal matters involving Lewis. The vessel was held as collateral by US courts for over a year while he faced insider trading charges. In January 2024, Lewis pleaded guilty to sharing confidential information about publicly traded companies with multiple individuals. Under sentencing guidelines, he could have faced up to two years in prison, but he received a three-year probation term and a $5 million fine instead, citing his age and health conditions. Born and raised in the UK, Lewis began his career by transforming his father’s catering business, Tavistock Banqueting, into a company supplying luxury goods to American tourists. His ventures later shifted toward currency trading in the 1970s, leading him to relocate to the Bahamas to evade higher UK tax rates. There, he amassed considerable wealth through speculative bets against the British pound and the Mexican peso during the 1990s. Local authorities have yet to comment directly on the dispute, though the issue has sparked public debate on social media platforms and among community groups. Some residents argue that high-profile individuals should consider the impact of their possessions on shared recreational spaces, while others defend the right of wealthy individuals to enjoy private leisure assets. As the situation develops, further dialogue between local stakeholders and the owner of Aviva may be necessary to address concerns regarding visual intrusion and environmental considerations.