Former world boxing champion Amir Khan has unveiled a new luxury wedding venue next to a car wash and fly-tipping spot in Bolton.
The opulent complex – called ‘The Balmayna’ – has striking features with glass walls, a waterfall and palm trees inside, along with greenery and a floral motif.
But the venue, which opens in a few weeks’ time in March, is still surrounded by a building site and sandwiched between two car washes – despite its website promising a ‘royalty experience’ and ‘a touch of splendor and excellence to every celebration’.
Have you booked to get married here? Email katherine.lawton@mailonline.co.uk
Those living nearby are far from happy with the design, with one person writing on Instagram: ‘It’s an absolute eyesore!!!! A blot on the landscape!!! It’s a huge lack of class! It also looks nothing like the image depicted.’
Khan, now 37, has been planning ‘The Balmayna’ – which translates to ‘enamelled’ in Arabic – since 2013, with the venue already taking bookings despite the surrounding area appearing largely unfinished.
Amir Khan – who is married to model Faryal Makhdoom (L) has built an £11.5m wedding venue in Bolton that ‘looks like it belongs in Dubai’
Locals are reportedly incensed by the location next to a car wash and garage. The luxury complex comes complete with glass walls, a waterfall and palm trees
Khan’s new location is near a car wash and auto body shop
The building can be seen from the outside and its presence enrages locals
Khan’s personal life has often made headlines outside of boxing, as well as a handful of controversies.
He married Makhdoom in 2013, with the couple having two daughters together, before announcing their divorce in 2017. The same year, he accused world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua of having an affair with his wife.
He has since reconciled with Makhdoom and starred with her in a BBC TV series called ‘Meet the Khans’.
Following the announcement that the venue is taking bookings, Balmayna’s Instagram page wrote: ‘With immense joy the wait is almost over! We’ll soon be unveiling the grand opening of @thebalmayna, Bolton’s newest wedding paradise. A beautiful project between Excellency Midlands and Amir Khan, where elegance seamlessly meets excellence.’
But one person said on social media that the building looks like it ‘belongs in Dubai’ The sun, while another wrote: ‘Seriously? Couldn’t you think of something original? The design is about ten years out of date.’
One person took issue with the venue describing itself as ‘prestigious’, writing: ‘Please explain what you mean by prestigious here… That requires reviews, feedback and some degree of longevity/history.’
Work on the site has taken much longer than expected, with Khan speaking of his plans to ‘make Bolton better’ by building the facility more than a decade ago.
Khan has been planning to build the venue since 2013 in an effort to ‘make Bolton better’
The building, which opens in March, can be seen from the back next to a parking garage
Work on the site has taken much longer than expected, with Khan speaking of his plans to ‘make Bolton better’ by building the facility more than a decade ago.
The building can be seen from a distance near a car wash and a landfill
“We’ve always had the ambition to have something like this in Bolton, but it was about getting the space and the area right,” he said in 2013.
‘We want to make the city better, we want people to talk about it and come to Bolton to do their business work here.
‘Hopefully people can follow in our footsteps and start building and investing more in Bolton.
‘It creates jobs and is very good for the city. I put the money back into Bolton and give back to the community.
‘A lot of people go out of town to eat, to Manchester or wherever, but why, when we have Bolton here and the town 100 per cent deserves the best facilities.’
Khan retired in 2022 following his knockout defeat to rival Kell Brook before failing a drugs test
Khan was banned from all sports for two years after an independent panel ruled he had committed an offense but not done so intentionally
Anthony Joshua (left) and Amir Khan (right) in Dubai
Last year, Khan failed a drugs test after his fight with Brook after a banned bodybuilding substance called ostarine was found in his system.
Khan – who was banned from playing any sport for two years – bizarrely claimed his positive test could have been the result of ‘shaking people’s hands’ and pleaded his innocence, claiming he had ‘never cheated or will never cheat’.
Khan told Sportsmail: “I have never cheated in my 27 years in the ring.
‘I have spent over £100,000 trying to figure out how this got into my system. One of the options they came up with was through a handshake. There was a whole crowd of people in my dressing room after the fight and I’m a friendly guy who always shakes hands.’
Khan – who reigned as world super-lightweight boxing champion between 2009 and 2011 – hung up his gloves after a knockout defeat to bitter rival Kell Brook in 2022 and has since turned his attention to life outside the ring.