Koos Bekker Faces Backlash Over Somerset Estate Expansion

South African billionaire Koos Bekker is facing growing tension with residents in Somerset, England, following the aggressive expansion of his luxury hotel estate, the Newt. Operating through Emily Estate (UK) Limited, Bekker has acquired more than 2,700 acres of land along with various high street businesses and pubs around Bruton and Castle Cary.

Local critics have described the expansion as colonisation, pointing to the purchase of local inns and the renaming of the Castle Cary train station to Castle Cary for the Newt as evidence of corporate overreach. Environmental concerns have also emerged, with farmers and residents citing the use of harmful pesticides, increased flash-flooding linked to construction, and the potential for new boreholes to dry up the River Brue.

While some community members welcome the investment and job creation, others have dismissed the estate's conservation efforts as performative, specifically citing the practice of keeping endangered red squirrels in cages. A spokesperson for the Newt defended the operation, stating the estate is committed to the local community and employs more than 650 people from the area.