U2 guitarist The Edge has infuriated his neighbours with plans to build five new homes across 1,000 acres of prime Malibu real estate.

Back in November 2006 the jet setting environmentalist bought two parcels of land in the area, at Latigo Canyon and Serra Retreat. Local resident Jim Smith told the LA Times recently: “Two years ago he pulled up outside my house and mentioned he was going to be my new neighbour, he was friendly and charismatic. I was happy knowing he was buying the land, as I assumed he would be sensitive to the environment – though that's not the case.”

Smith claims that The Edge’s plans for a nearby mountain, which include the excavation of a large chunk of the surrounding hillside, will cause the original scenery to “disappear”, leaving a “20-storey, blot on the landscape” in its place.

Other residents have claimed that the guitarist’s plans will also bring and increase of water run-off, and the closure of a local archery club.

Smith commented further on the plans, saying: “When I expressed my concerns about the development, he told me he was sympathetic to my concerns. He's done nothing. He's not walking the walk of an environmentalist.”