Ed Sheeran’s neighbour wins battle with singer to extend his back garden by 160 feet despite superstar complaining it would spoil his £3.7m ‘Sheeranville’ estate
- Robinson’s plans to extend his back garden have been approved by the council
- Ed Sheeran objected to the ‘unplanned and artificial’ extension last month
- The pop-star has had to deal with a string of planning complaints of his own
- Neighbour Tony Robinson said he is ‘very disappointed’ at Sheeran’s objection
Ed Sheeran’s neighbour has won his battle with the superstar to extend his back garden despite objections from the singer.
Anthony Robinson, who lives three houses along from the pop star’s estate, has been given permission to make his back garden 160 feet bigger.
Mr Robinson already owns the field behind his garden and wants to turn the paddock area and incorporate some of it into his private garden so that three generations of his family can grow their vegetables there.
But Sheeran, worth £160 million, did not want the space to be domesticated and claimed it would extend the village into the countryside in an unplanned and artificial way’.
Ed Sheeran’s neighbour Tony Robinson has won his fight to extend his back garden by 160 feet. This aerial image shows the original boundary in red and what his new garden will look like
Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn (pictured attending the Brit Awards after party in 2017) complained about their neighbour’s garden extension plans to the council
Mr Robinson was furious that the musician objected considering he has spent the last six years expanding his East Suffolk £3.7 million estate.
Dubbed ‘Sheeranville’ the star’s estate includes five houses, an orchard, football pitch, outdoor kitchen, drinking den and an entertainment area.
Last month an objection on Sheeran’s behalf was made by Paul Smith from Apex Planning Consultants.
Mr Smith said the new garden would ‘look out of place in the village’ and ‘would extend the village into the countryside in an unplanned and artificial way’.
But Smith also added that Sheeran was happy to compromise with a smaller extension between nine and 14 metres.
The letter also insisted that if planning permission was granted it should include a planning condition that removed ‘development rights.’
Mr Robinson wants to extend this field (above) at the back of his house, which he owns, and incorporate it into his garden – but his famous neighbours objected to his plans
Mr Robinson responded to the letter and said: ‘I am very disappointed as I formally supported his last planning application to build his chapel in the adjacent field right under my oak tree.’
Robinson’s architects, Nick Barber Architects, argued that the extension would not encourage residential development as there were already much bigger houses in the area.
The architects cited Ed Sheeran’s own property, especially his Wynneys Hall, as a ‘shining example’ of this already existing development.
After amassing a £160million fortune Sheeran went to work on developing his five property estate, with much of the work going through without complaints from their neighbours
They also said that the property is already partly domesticated as the Robinsons have maintained it.
They rejected Sheeran’s offer to compromise and said it was inappropriate to ‘seek to advise the applicants and indeed the Council on an alternative proposal.’
The letter wrote: ‘What is it that makes Apex the arbiter of how much land is needed for a family to live in the manner that they choose?’
Nick Barber Architects said that Robinson needs the extension for his large, three-generation family to live a sustainable lifestyle and grow their own vegetables.
‘Sheeranville’ the estate in Suffolk owned by Sheeran, with the newly added football pitch, main house Wynneys Hall and the nature pond although neighbours say it’s a swimming pool
Sheeran’s development has not been without controversy, particularly over unsuccessful plans for a 32ft-tall chapel and the use of a wildlife ‘pond’ (pictured)
Although the council objected to Robinson’s proposal initially many neighbours wrote in to support him.
Mr Miles Thomas wrote in to the council in support of Robinson saying: ‘The Robinsons live as three generations under one roof and as such do need a large garden.’
Neighbours have not been so supportive of Sheeran’s plans in the past.
The pop singer was told he could not swim in his wildlife pond, had original plans for a chapel scuppered and had to remove his outside sauna after complaints from neighbours.
Last year Sheeran was however granted planning permission to create a place of worship in his back garden which he has yet to build.