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And Finally Artist News
Ed Sheeran ordered to dismantle sauna and take down pub sign
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 24 April 2019
Poor old Ed Sheeran, they just won’t leave him be. He wanted to build a church in his garden, they said no because it would upset the wildlife. He built a pond for the wildlife, people said it was a swimming pool. Now he’s been told to dismantle a sauna next to that wildlife pond and take down a sign outside a barn he’s turned into a pub.
Local planning laws and the property’s Grade II listed status restrict what changes can be made to Sheeran’s Suffolk estate. Numerous objections have been raised about planning applications made since he moved there, and there have been complaints raised about various modifications he has managed to make.
In March, a number of locals claimed that a wildlife pond, for which Sheeran had received planning permission, had subsequently been turned into a swimming pool.
One of the conditions of building the pool was that it not be used for swimming. Nearby residents noted that a jetty, steps into the water and a Romany caravan have all appeared in and around the pond, making it look more like a swimming pool with a diving board and changing room.
Upon investigation, the council says that there is no indication that the pool is being used for anything other than the cultivation of wildlife. However, it did order him to dismantle a sauna that had been built next to it. Dragonflies and frogs apparently don’t require saunas.
“During a site visit in March, it was found that a sauna has been constructed near to the pond”, a council spokesperson said, following a ruling earlier this week. “We have raised concerns regarding this structure, which requires either planning permission or removal”.
However, they added, “there was no evidence that it is not a wildlife pond, as plants are growing in and around it, or that the planning conditions had been broken. We will continue to monitor the situation”.
While checking out the pond situation, council staff also noticed a pub sign swinging outside a barn on the property. Sheeran has apparently put a bar in the barn so he can hang out and have a beer without locals jabbing him in the ribs and asking about his breaststroke. He’s named the pub The Lancaster Lock, for his wife Cherry Lancaster Seaborn. Sweet, huh? No, not sweet. Illegal, says the council. At least the sign bearing the name is.
“We have also requested that all unauthorised signage be removed from the Grade II listed barn”, said the council spokesperson coldly.
Drinking is apparently still allowed. In the barn, not from the pond.