Macrons plan to build private pool at holiday fort

The fort, which is a 17th century château in Bormes-les-Mimosas (Var, ‎Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), has been one of the President’s official residences since 1968.

Its rocky coastline location means it already has a private beach, but the Macron couple has confirmed that they wish to build an “above ground” private pool, as the beach is regularly spied on and snapped by waiting paparazzi.

This is a problem especially if the fort is playing host to families with young children, a statement from the Elysée said, specifying that the main objective of the new pool would be to “protect the privacy of children while they bathe”.

The beach was the subject of private photos in 2012, when then-President François Hollande was controversially photographed - along with Valérie Trierweiler - while wearing swimming costumes.

The new project is yet to gain proper approval by public servant planning and architecture group Les Architectes des Bâtiments de France (ABF) and is also yet to gain planning permission from the local commune.

Should it gain approval, construction is reportedly expected to go ahead quickly, but the overall cost of the project is not yet known.