Boxer Amir Khan gets rid of gym and swimming pool at his Bolton home – to make more room for family

Boxer Amir Khan is getting rid of a gym and swimming pool at his home in Bolton – to make room for his extended family.

The former welterweight champion has two separate houses in the grounds of his property in Bolton, Lancashire, and has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds adding bespoke designer flourishes.

But now, having tried and failed to sell either home last year, the 34-year-old is ripping out the pool – complete with a boxing glove mosaic on its floor – in the smaller property to build two self-contained apartments.

This means his much loved ‘man pad’, where he admits he goes to get away from his influencer wife Faryal Makhdoom after their fiery rows, will no longer be a refuge.

The 11m by 5m heated pool on the lower floor, which also bears his initials AK, will be filled in with concrete while adjoining changing rooms and a home gym will be gutted to make way for three bedrooms.

The ex ‘I’m a Celebrity’ contestant has won planning permission from Bolton Council for the ground floor of the glass fronted building – across the driveway from his £1.8m main home – to be turned into a self-contained flat.

But any fans hoping to get close to Khan and his wife Faryal by renting the new homes will be disappointed as they are being built for use of his close family.

The existing first floor, where there are already three bedrooms and an open plan living area, will remain the same, as will the exterior of the building.

Khan – who has regularly been seen flaunting Covid lockdown rules by having parties and socialising with large groups of people – told planners the designer swimming pool he put in it is never used.

His 29-year-old wife had previously helped plan the £250,000 makeover for the bungalow where Khan’s parents had once lived.

As well as the pool the property boasted a jacuzzi plunge pool, steam room, gym and cinema room.

Khan, the former Olympic and World Welterweight champion, said the bungalow became his sanctuary after marital strife.

He said being able to escape to a separate home had help strengthen his seven-year marriage and allowed him his own space.

Since his 2013 wedding to socialite Faryal he has been accused of repeatedly cheating on her and four years ago, he wrongly accused his wife of sleeping with fellow boxer Anthony Joshua in a Twitter rant.

He said the marriage was over, but they reconciled, and he credited the pool house for allowing him to enjoy his own space away from his wife and three children.

Khan said: ‘I still need my own space sometimes, to have my friends over and have a little chill. And Faryal can do the same.

‘I do think having a separate house has also made our relationship stronger because you’re not in each other’s face all the time.’

Khan and his wife are soon to appear in a reality show that will allow viewers a glimpse into their personal life.

Called ‘The Khans: Big in Bolton’, the BBC Three series is described as showing ‘ a young family, their relationship and career pressures under the glare of modern media’.

Construction work on the converstion of the pool house into self contained flat is expected to start later this year.

Neighbours did not object to the plans submitted to Bolton Council who ruled that the change of use from an annexe was permitted within their planning guidelines.

Planning officer John Dupre ruled: ‘The agent has confirmed that the dwelling and apartments will be occupied by members of the same family albeit they will be separate dwellings with their own separate addresses.

‘The current application seeks permission for residential use at the ground floor and for both the ground and first floors to be used as separate dwellings, albeit to be occupied by members of the same extended family.

‘As the application site is currently owned by a single family, officers do not consider it necessary that this area be divided.’

MailOnline has approchaed Khan for comment.